Kekoa
by Cokie316
Summary: The president of a foreign country has requested McGarrett's particular skills and Steve's conscience won't let him refuse.  But what does he tell his team?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Notes: Hello, Friends. I am stepping back into this vast pool of fan fiction with a story for this summer. This is different from anything I have written before, so I am a bit apprehensive. But sometimes these boys just won't leave me alone until I get the story written! Although, with this one, I would start writing and then they would change tactics mid-stream or just totally clam up and refuse to tell me what happens next. And I heard them laugh…**_

_**I guess I need to proclaim that I own not one smidgeon of this wonderful franchise, although I am excited to say that negotiations have begun. I'm still waiting for CBS to call me back…**_

_**Mahalo to Sockie for reading and re-reading these chapters and not yelling "enough already". She is *awesome*. Also, thanks to Rogue Tomato who can read a paragraph and say, "I think it needs this." And she has been right every time. Thanks to both of you for your insight and patience with my mistakes.**_

_**Other than clean-up of the last couple of chapters, this is completely written, so it will be posted on a timely basis. Thank you for reading!**_

_**Kekoa**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Friday afternoon, approximately 1500 HST (Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone)**_

"That, my freaky-SEAL-friend, will never happen!" Danny Williams vowed, leaning back in his chair at _Kaka'ako Kitchen_ after finishing his lunch. He laughed at his partner, shaking his head and adding, "never, _**ever**_ in a million years."

"Don't say that," Steve warned him while shaking his index finger in his partner's direction. "She's only, what – eight? Wait until she's 14. Then we'll talk. Tell him, Kono."

"Uh unh, Boss. You're not dragging me into this. Danny would have a stroke if he knew the truth." She laughed with them and continued, "besides he can't handle it."

"Guys, calm down," Chin Ho told them. "I think the Dad is already having a stroke. Give him a break."

"Thank you, Chin," Danny said, dropping his chair back on all four legs.

"Besides, if Kono's father made it through her teen years, anyone can do it," Chin added, grinning at his younger cousin.

"Hey now," she turned on him, hands on her hips. "No fair. Don't bring me into this argument."

Steve laughed again. "Sounds like a touchy subject, Rookie."

"No. I'm not touchy," she warned, a glare in her eyes.

"O…K… and now I'm sensing a bit of hostility." Steve held up his hands in a defensive manner and then glanced at his watch and frowned. "I guess we've exhausted our lunch time. Can't believe we've been here two-and-a-half-hours."

"Hey! We had a busy morning that started way too early, in my estimation," Danny reminded him. "We deserved a long lunch."

"Yes, it was a very productive morning," Chin stated with a pleased smile. "I wonder if HPD has gotten Aukai to talk yet."

"He'll talk," Danny assured them. "He's out of options. Man, did he ever look like a drowned rat when we pulled him out of that drain," he added with a chuckle.

The others laughed with him. "A storm drain isn't the safest or the smartest place to be when it is pouring rain like this," Chin replied.

"From what I've seen of Aukai, he never made the dean's list," McGarrett said, a grin on his face from the morning's memory. "But he's lucky we pulled him out when we did. He would have drowned pretty quickly. Now, he's just busted."

The waitress arrived with the checks and Steve snagged them all, handing her his credit card. "Team lunch," he told them. "My treat."

"Hey, thanks, Boss," Kono thanked him for all of them.

"We all deserve it after this week," McGarrett told them. "I, for one, can't wait to finally get some sleep tonight. In fact, how about we go back to the office, finish the paperwork and call it a week?"

"Sounds good," Chin agreed.

"Yes!" Kono chimed in.

Steve turned to Danny. "You're awfully quiet."

"Who, me? Man, I'm still speechless that you actually had a credit card on your person. Sign that sucker and let's get out of here."

~~~H50~~~

The team was still laughing several minutes later when they entered the glass doors of their offices, dripping wet from the run from their cars. The week had brought rain every day – and not just the normal afternoon showers. These rains were downpours that left everything soggy…and steamy. Another good reason for the work week to be over.

All four stopped in their droplet-laden tracks when they saw the sailor coming to attention in front of them.

"Commander McGarrett, Sir."

"Stand down, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"I have an urgent message from Admiral Farris, Sir. May we speak in private?"

Steve glanced at his team as they began to disburse into their own offices, although they were clearly interested in McGarrett's guest. He gave them a half shrug and turned back to the sailor. "My office." He strode down the hallway toward the glass door at the end of the wide hallway, assuming the lieutenant was following behind.

Once the door was closed, Steve dropped into his chair and leaned back. "Have a seat. And tell me what this is about."

The sailor remained standing and handed him a flash drive and a satellite phone. "The Admiral requests you call him and look at the documents on the drive. He will be able to answer your questions. I am to remain for the call, Sir."

"Well, at least sit down," Steve growled, setting the phone down and sliding the flash drive into his computer.

After a few keystrokes, a very official document appeared on his computer screen, complete with his name, "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY" and the emblem of the U.S. Navy at the bottom of the page.

"Sir," the lieutenant said, then cleared his throat. "I must have your acknowledgement that you will not divulge the contents of this file."

Steve glared at him over the top of his laptop. "I swear," he muttered. "I do know protocol."

"I know you do, Sir, and, Sir, the Admiral would like you to call him now. The number is preprogrammed into the phone."

McGarrett grabbed the phone and hit the spacebar for page one of the document. The faces he saw took him back five years, to the middle of a South American jungle…

_His team had been dispatched to Guyana on the northern shore of South America where six American students, backpacking through the jungle, had mysteriously disappeared. Twenty-four hours later, their parents were contacted with ransom demands. By the time the U.S. Government had become involved, three of the six were dead, their grizzly photos mailed as a lesson to the distraught parents. He and his team had managed to extract the other three to safety, but not before the two girls had both been brutally sexually assaulted. The surviving male was blind in one eye and would never use his right arm again._

_At the time, the trio had described their kidnappers as soldiers, dressed in camo and driving official vehicles with emblems on the sides. They had been detained at their campsite one night; the males had been restrained and forced to watch the rape of the women. After surviving the first night, they had overheard the kidnappers talking over walkie-talkies to someone 'at the compound'. Then the name 'Ochoa' had come up in the conversation and the kidnapper had replied, "Yes, Sir, Mr. President. We are on our way." They were taken to a house on the outskirts of the capital city of Georgetown and kept there until the covert rescue._

_U.S. officials and McGarrett's team had worked to free the students with the help of a governmental liaison who had returned to his country after receiving his law degree from Harvard. At that time, an investigation was begun against President Ochoa, but they were never able to make a case. _

_The liaison, Alejandro Sanchez, along with his wife and child, were the faces that stared back at Steve from the computer._

"Admiral, Steve McGarrett," he stated when the phone call was answered.

The admiral didn't bother with pleasantries. "McGarrett, I need to enlist your help. If you are looking at the document, I'm sure you remember Mr. Sanchez from your time spent in Guyana."

"Yes, Sir. He seemed to be one of the good guys."

"He still is, Commander. And because of that, last week his country elected him president in Guyana's first democratic election in many years."

"Ochoa was overthrown?" Steve asked in surprise. "Sorry, I've been involved in a case here and haven't been able to catch up on the latest world news."

"Yes, the people of Guyana have had enough of his heavy-handed tactics. Sanchez's victory was overwhelming. To say Ochoa took it badly is an understatement."

"How so?" Steve asked.

"Tuesday evening, the country was celebrating the inauguration. Georgetown was wild. Parties in the street, that sort of thing. It was good for the country to unite, to break ties with the old regime, but while Sanchez was giving his acceptance speech that evening, his daughter and her nanny were kidnapped from her room. No one knew they were missing until Mrs. Sanchez went to check on the child upon her return later that night."

"What about the nanny? Is she an innocent or is there any involvement there?"

"Unknown involvement. She's being investigated. There were signs of a struggle, but no evidence that she was taken against her will. The photos the Guyanese police released looked pretty staged, if you ask me."

"What about a ransom note?"

"They received one, of sorts," the admiral replied. "Flip through the file and you'll see a copy."

Steve pressed the arrow key past a map of the country and other documentation until he saw the typed note:

_If you value your daughter's life, it would be in your best interest to abdicate your position and leave the country immediately. Only upon your compliance will she be returned. _

Below the note was a photograph of the crying child, dressed in Dora pajamas, her long dark hair tangled and sweaty. In front of her was a copy of Georgetown, Guyana's daily newspaper, the _**Stabroek News**_ dated with Wednesday's date.

After reading the note, Steve stared at the photo before replying, "The note's pretty generic, wasn't it?"

"The note was delivered to the American Embassy first thing Wednesday morning. The Public Affairs Officer at the embassy delivered it to Sanchez who agreed to the terms. He called a press conference and after abdicating, he and his wife immediately left the country and headed to Trinidad/Tobago. The embassy liaison from the U.S. Embassy made arrangements and accompanied them to Trinidad."

"And where's the little girl?"

He heard the admiral's sigh over the phone. "Unknown, unfortunately. There has been no further communication. During this time, Ochoa has rallied the people and now he is back in power. In his first speech, he called Sanchez weak and spineless, only wanting the title of president, not the responsibilities of the position. The people of Guyana are very disheartened right now. And, of course, Sanchez is convinced Ochoa is involved."

"Highly likely," Steve assumed. "He is a snake and the people who work for him are worse. Admiral, where do I fit in this?"

"In a moment, McGarrett…"

~~~H50~~~

Danny kept glancing furtively in the direction of Steve's office. He could hear nothing but watched as Steve rubbed his eyes, then the back of his neck as he sighed. Whatever he was seeing on the computer was putting him in a bad mood. Danny's cell phone dinged on his desk and he picked it up.

Kono's face appeared and he read her text._ Danny, check your email._

He retrieved his mail and waited for it to load, finding an email from Kono to both he and Chin: _Can either of you hear anything? _

Danny promptly replied to the email:_ Squat. But he ain't happy. Chin, anything from your angle?_

Chin: _Nothing, Brah. I'm trying to check the world's hot spots right now to see what's going on._

Kono: _Find anything?_

Chin:_ Nothing yet._

Danny: _Guys, he's getting crankier by the minute. I can tell by the face. _

Kono: _You don't think he's being reassigned, do you?_

Danny glanced at her through the glass and shrugged his shoulders with a 'wait and see' attitude, but typed: _I doubt it. But he's still in the reserves. Who knows what they want him to do?_

Chin_: __One of Bin Laden's top guys was taken out this week. Do you think he's headed to Afghanistan? Or Pakistan? They are still mad at us over the Bin Laden thing.  
><em>

Danny: _Yeah, but t__here are plenty of active SEALs out there. Why would they need Steve?_

Kono: _Good point. Maybe we are blowing this out of proportion._

Chin:_ Hope so, Brah.  
><em>  
>Danny: <em>Anything else going on, Chin?<em>

Chin_: Same old, same old that I can tell. South America is still dealing with drugs. Guyana's newly-elected president left office the day after his inauguration. Political uprisings and slavery in Africa. Border wars in the States._

Kono: _Ok, guess we wait, guys. They can't take forever in there._

Chin: _Yeah, but will he get up and walk out of here, or stop and tell us what's going on?_

Danny: _Wish I knew. Have I mentioned how I hate to wait?_

Kono: _Only once or twice. _She ended her sentence with a smiley face.

~~~H50~~~

Steve leaned back in his chair as the admiral continued. "The Embassy in Trinidad/Tobago notified our military. They had Intel of a likely location of the child's whereabouts and gave detailed instructions on the location." The man sighed again. "We sent in a team on Wednesday night and immediately lost contact. It should have been a quick in and out. Check out the map in the document. The compound is south of New Amsterdam on the river. Chopper dropped the team off on shore but they didn't meet the pickup and there has been no chatter."

He continued. "We were set up, McGarrett. By Ochoa, someone in his cabinet, or possibly one of our own. My guess is that since Ochoa knows we support Sanchez, he wants to involve the U.S. and make us out to be the bad guy in all this. And while he's playing games, a little girl's life is still at stake."

"You're assuming she's still alive."

"Until I hear otherwise, yes, I am. And now, we come to you." He paused, and then continued. "Sanchez asked for you, personally. He remembers you from five years ago and said if anyone can find his daughter, it will be you."

McGarrett glanced at the lieutenant and recognized the look. He knew his own face reflected the same. He flipped the pages back to stare into the little girl's frightened eyes. _This will not turn out well. _ "Admiral, you know the odds—"

"I know that, McGarrett. And, to be honest, so does Sanchez. But he is grasping at straws, as any of us would do. And I'm not asking you to only find a little girl. We also have a missing SEAL team to locate."

Steve sat there, staring at his computer. He glanced into Danny's office and managed to lock eyes with his partner, knowing his team would be going crazy right about now. And he knew he would be in a boat load of trouble for leaving.

But sometimes extraneous circumstances dictate your actions.

"What time's my flight?"

~~~H50~~~

Danny, Chin and Kono watched as the sailor walked out of Steve's office and then glanced at McGarrett, who was standing at his desk, hands in his pockets, staring at the computer screen which was now blank. The lieutenant had removed the flash drive and taken it when he left. Glancing back up, Steve saw Danny watching him, motioned his head toward the smart table in the bullpen area, and opened his door.

He leaned against the table, arms folded over his chest, ankles crossed and waited for them to congregate. He chewed his lower lip, deciding what to say.

Danny could no longer wait. "So… friend of yours?"

Steve glanced at him, then lowered his gaze and blew out a breath.

"Look, I… ", he stopped, at a loss for the right words. He knew he couldn't just disappear. Even though he had been recalled from the reserves, he still had a team here. He had to tell them something. He also knew that he was sworn to secrecy and could tell them nothing.

"Spill it, Steven."

"I've been called out of reserves for a mission. I leave tonight. I just wanted you to know when I don't show up as planned on Monday."

"How long will you be gone?" Kono asked.

McGarrett shrugged and shook his head. "Unknown."

"Where—"

"Danny, you know I can't tell you that."

Danny gave him a slight grin. "It was worth a shot."

"Hey, I'll let you know when I get back home. Until then, you guys do your jobs and stay safe. I-ah-need to go call the governor. Oh, and Danny…I never got around to that paperwork this afternoon."

"Of course you didn't. But never fear - we have your back."

Steve headed toward his office, but turned around and looked at his partner. "Yeah. I know that. Thanks… all of you." He went into his office, closed his door and picked up the phone.

Danny turned to Chin, who was already leaning over the table computer.

"Dig deeper, Chin."

"I'm ahead of you, Brah. Let's see what we can find."

~~~H50~~~

Steve opened the front door dressed in his khaki, short sleeved service uniform, threw his duffle on the porch, and turned to lock up. When he reached back down to pick up his bag, he glanced at his truck and the figure leaning against it. Slowly, he walked toward the vehicle.

"Danny, look, I wasn't kidding. I can't tell you anything," he warned, opening the door and tossing his duffle into the back seat.

Danny nodded, holding out one of the two beer bottles he had grasped in his fingers. His other hand held a bottle of water. "I know that. Can't I just come and see you off? And take your pick; I have beer and water. Which do you prefer?"

Steve glanced at his watch and nodded. "I have time for one beer. And then maybe I can take the water with me."

"That'll work," Danny replied, handing over the beer before tossing the water bottle through the open window into the truck's cab. "So… you know we won't be there to watch your back."

Steve took a long drink from the bottle, and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I know. But I'm good. You watch out for Chin and Kono, OK?"

"Always."

"And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Oh, like maybe pulling a McGarrett? Heaven forbid we would do something 'stupid' like that."

Steve grinned. "Yeah, like that." He turned the bottle up once again and then checked his watch. "Danny, I've got to get out of here."

"Yeah, I know," Williams replied, waiting until Steve drained the bottle, and then held out his hand to take it back, setting it and his own beer on the ground. "Just wanted to, you know, wish you well and all of that."

Steve held out his hand. "Yeah, man, thanks."

Danny grasped the outstretched hand and pulled him closer, pounding him on the back. "You behave yourself, you Moron. None of that SuperSeal stuff… that's just for around here. Don't you go getting yourself into trouble because I won't be there to get your sorry ass out."

Steve stepped back and grinned. "I'll be careful." He pointed his finger at Danny, warning, "You keep your mouth shut and try not to cause the State of Hawaii too much grief." He climbed into the truck's cab and started the engine. "Because you won't have me around to make amends."

"In your dreams," Danny replied with a grin. He put his hand on the door as Steve threw the shift into reverse.

"I'm serious, Steve. Watch your back."

Steve nodded. "You, too. See you soon."

Danny had a very bad feeling as he watched his partner drive away.

~~~H50~~~


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Saturday, 0830 HST; 1430 hours, AST (Atlantic Standard Time Zone)**_

Steve had grown accustomed to military transport many years ago, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the 13 plus hours spent in the air. Neither his backside nor his temperament appreciated the flight. Luckily, he had managed to catch several short bursts of sleep in those long hours, his mind already kicking back into SEAL mode.

He had arrived at Pearl at 1730 and had received both the Intel gathered for the mission and dossiers on each team member. McGarrett then met with his unit, was outfitted with uniforms and arsenal, and after a quick meal, they were airborne by 1900 hours. Once they were in the air, he had shared the details he knew of the situation and took the time to study his team.

He already knew Lt. Grayson and had worked with him on a previous mission. Tim Grayson was well on his way to becoming a SEAL team leader. McGarrett had been impressed with his decision-making skills on their last mission and he knew that he could count on the man's calm demeanor and analytical skills in the heat of battle.

Jackson and Vega were relatively new, even though they both had a couple missions under their belts. Rob Jackson was a Texan, born and bred, proud of it and not afraid to tell any and everyone. He and Vega had spent the first few minutes airborne in a heated argument over which state had the best football team; Texas or Georgia. Grayson had shut them both up when he informed them that Michigan could easily handle the other two teams, which prompted a lot of jeers and laughter. Jackson thought he would have to resuscitate Vega there on the spot. While all SEALs were medically trained, he would be the one to take charge in a medical emergency, having trained as an EMT prior to joining the SEALs.

Paul Vega was a top-notch munitions expert and Steve felt lucky to have him on his team. The young man had many commendations from his two previous missions. Vega was originally from Puerto Rico and had been recruited for the SEALs immediately upon graduation from the Naval Academy. If the young man's dossier was any indication, McGarrett knew Vega had a bright future ahead of him.

The commander awoke from a catnap, listening to his teammates' banter.

"Why the hell do you have a cow tattooed on your leg, Jackson?" Vega asked.

"Vega, are you blind?" Jackson retorted. "Anyone can see that's a Longhorn and not a cow."

"It's a cow with long horns all right," the Puerto Rican agreed.

"Boy, you're just not right," he drawled, his accent prominent.

"I know one thing," Vega shot back. "It's a good thing the folks in Guyana speak English, because if you tried to drawl Spanish with that twang, we'd be in a world of hurt, 'cause no one would understand a word you said."

Their good natured ribbing caused McGarrett to smile, although it gave him a twinge of homesickness; a feeling that was foreign to him. He had been moving from port to port at the drop of a hat since he left Annapolis and he had always been able to leave whatever base he had been in.

But this time was different. He had left behind his home, a job he was proud of, and the friends he counted on, because he knew they always had his back.

~~~H50~~~

Touchdown was 1430 hours Saturday afternoon, factoring in the difference of six time zones. The plane was met by personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad/Tobago and soon they were at the Embassy in the city of Port of Spain and escorted upstairs into a closed conference room.

"McGarrett." A tall, graying man in his early sixties turned toward them as they entered the room.

Steve immediately came to attention and saluted. "Admiral, Sir. I didn't realize you were on site."

"At ease, men." He motioned for them to be seated. "I arrived late yesterday. I'm more of a hand-on administrator. And I have a missing SEAL team I'm worried about." He sat at the head of the table.

"Yes, Sir. Any news?"

"None. No word of the child, or the team. Now, tell me what you need."

"Transportation," Steve replied. "And a timeline."

"Your transport will be here within the hour. The mission is a search and rescue, both for the little girl and our own team." The admiral nodded to his aide, Captain Anderson, who flashed a slide onto a wall screen. "Our satellite Intel shows numerous people at the compound and we feel this is the place the child is held. It is owned by Ochoa's wife's family. Intel has it that he was there last week, the day before the election. We have a man on the inside who delivers food each week. He said he heard a child cry, but had no visual."

The telephone on the table buzzed and Anderson answered. He listened briefly and then replied, "We'll be there right away." He hung up the phone and turned to the admiral. "Sir, President Sanchez would like to meet with Commander McGarrett."

"Yes, of course," the admiral replied. "This way, Commander. Boys, make yourselves at home. Ensign, make sure the food is ready for them."

Steve and the admiral traveled through a pedway to a smaller structure behind the embassy. Sanchez was waiting for them in a hallway.

"Steve!" Sanchez stretched out his hand to shake McGarrett's.

"Alejandro," he replied, returning the handshake. "Or, should I call you Mr. President?"

"No, of course not. Alejandro, please. And I thank you for coming. If anyone can find my Aliyana, it is you." He placed both hands on Steve's arms. "I know in my heart she is still alive, but that viper has stolen her to retain his corrupt power. But the election and the presidency, none of that matters as long as we get her back. I'll gladly never enter my country again in order to see my child."

They had entered another conference room and Steve glanced around, noting two guards and a couple others talking to the admiral.

"Alejandro." Steve moved closer to the man's side and spoke in a low voice. "Who in here do you trust? In your gut? Is there anyone in your own camp who could be involved?"

Sanchez quickly surveyed the room then turned back to Steve. "I trust you," he stated. "I had never met the Embassy liaison before he delivered the ransom note. Yet, he insisted on coming with us. The guards were not my own. I don't know who is involved. But Ochoa is in charge. I have no doubt of that fact. And he is making comments about the U.S. military and saying I am in your back pocket, so to speak. He is a hateful, vindictive man and will stop at nothing to regain power."

"I remember."

"Please, Steve, I beg you, find her."

"You have my word that I will do my best to bring her home. You know that."

"That is all I can ask. But Marisol wishes to see you. Could you please come with me?"

"Of course."

"The doctor wants to keep her on bed rest, but she is too nervous to stay down. Did you know my wife is six months pregnant?"

"I didn't know," Steve replied as they walked down the hall and up a stairway. "This can't be good for her."

"No, it isn't. The only time she sleeps is when the doctor gives her something. And she fights that." He nodded to a guard and opened a door to a suite of rooms and found his wife seated in a chair, another guard on duty inside the room as well.

"Steve, you remember Marisol, don't you?" he introduced as she struggled to get up.

"Yes, of course," Steve said, moving quickly to keep her seated. "Please don't get up," he told her, kneeling in front of the chair. "I am so very sorry for these circumstances, Ma'am. You have my word that I will do all I can to bring your daughter home."

Her eyes were swollen from tears and she nodded, "Please. That is all I can ask of you. Our baby girl just celebrated her fourth birthday," she told him, picking up a picture to show him. She held one hand on her mouth, a tear falling down her cheek. "I know she is scared. Oh! Alejandro, could you please get Flopsy? He's on the bed. I'm sorry, Commander, but I'll explain."

Sanchez entered the bedroom of the suite and returned with a six-inch stuffed pink rabbit that he held tenderly in his hand, explaining, "Steve, meet Mr. Flopsy. Aliyana carries him everywhere. We…" his voice cracked as he sat on the arm of his wife's chair and handed the rabbit to her. "He was found in the bushes beneath her window the night she was taken."

Marisol held the stuffed animal to her chest, another tear following the trail down her cheek. "It would mean a great deal to us if you could take him to Ali," Marisol told him, holding out her hand.

Steve reached for the toy. "Of course," he offered an understanding smile. "I'll be Mr. Flopsy's personal escort."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Would you mind finding your way back into the embassy?" Sanchez asked. "I think I'll sit with my wife for a while." He looked down at her, his arm around her shoulder. "Maybe I can persuade her to take a nap."

"Not a problem," Steve replied, standing. "And I will be in touch as soon as I can." He held his hand out to shake the president's once again, and spoke in a voice the guard could not hear. "And as for others you can trust, Admiral Farris is top notch. Don't hesitate to talk to him if you have any concerns or problems."

The men shook hands. "God speed, Steve. Please…"

"I will do my best," McGarrett assured him. "Please take care of yourselves and let me and my team handle the rest."

~~~H50~~~

Another military aircraft. This time a Chinook. And thankfully, not a long ride.

After Steve's return to the embassy, they had eaten and had been briefed by Farris and the Guyanese Embassy Public Affairs Officer, Alan Chavez. The embassy's director had resigned two months ago and Chavez was the acting director. He was an 'in-your-face' kind of guy and McGarrett had had enough of the man's face _and_ voice after two minutes of discussion.

Chavez had been very specific in his details of the coastline, pointing out on the satellite map what he considered the best position to make landfall. The plan was for them to drop line on the beach just after dusk.

That was Chavez' plan that he imposed on them; it was not necessarily the one McGarrett was willing to use. The fact that Chavez continued to check his watch during the meeting had also set off warning alarms in Steve's head.

A man was innocent until proven guilty; but a man was not trustworthy until he had proven himself. In Steve's mind, Alan Chavez had a lot of proving to do.

On the chopper ride, Steve was reviewing the topical and satellite views of the compound when he was interrupted by the pilot.

"Commander, the admiral is on Com 2 for you."

Steve toggled the switch on his headset and spoke. "McGarrett."

"Commander." Farris' voice was low and gravelly. "Your mission has now changed."

"Sir?" He glanced up at his team, all three members watching him. He frowned and shrugged his shoulder while slowly shook his head, letting them know something had changed.

"We just sent a photo to your SAT phone," the admiral continued. "The message was received shortly after you went airborne."

Steve took the phone from his pocket when he felt the vibration. Accessing the photo, he stared at it, then closed his eyes, dropping his head back against the frame of the chopper, his face hardening in anger.

"Shit."

"I feel the same way," the admiral admitted.

He sat back up, his first insane thought being Mr. Flopsy who was stowed in his backpack. McGarrett handed the phone to Lt. Grayson to share the photo with the others. Grayson stared at the color photo of Aliyana Sanchez, her throat slit, blood covering her pajamas. He shook his head and passed the phone to Jackson and Vega.

"Commander, are you still with me?"

"Yes, Sir." Steve took a deep breath and looked at the men around him.

"Your mission is now one of search and destroy. Use any means at your disposal to do so. And Commander?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Get these S.O.B.'s.

"Yes, SIR!"

Steve commed his mic again. "Lieutenant?" he called to the pilot.

"Yes, Commander?"

McGarrett checked the coordinates on the satellite map once again. Seeing the picture of Aliyana, dead, set off warning bells that told him something was definitely not right. And if nothing else, Steve's experience had taught him to trust his gut instinct.

"Change of plans. Take us off course two degrees east of the drop site. From here on, we rely on our own Intel…not something handed to us."

"Yes, Sir. ETA is 23 minutes. Should I re-work the flight manifest to show this change, Sir?"

"If you could refrain from doing so for a few hours, I would greatly appreciate it," McGarrett replied. "I'd like to get in and get the upper hand here."

"Understood, Sir."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Steve reached for the pot of face paint and slathered it on before passing it to his team. With his face half covered in black, the mask was in place. There was no time for emotion, no time for regret at the parents' loss. This was a time of action, therefore, the harsh image on his phone was blocked from of his mind.

He had a job to do.

~~~H50~~~


	3. Chapter 3

_**And now, back at the ranch...**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Saturday, 0900 HST; 1500 hours, AST (Atlantic Standard Time Zone)**_

Danny pushed open the glass door to the 5-0 offices at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning and immediately glanced toward the office at the end of the hall, although he knew it would be empty. Steve's office was as dark as it had been when Danny had left on Friday afternoon.

_You had better be behaving yourself, wherever you are,_ he thought to himself.

Chin Ho walked in the office immediately after Danny, two files in one hand and a box of Liliha Bakery Coco Puffs in the other.

"Mornin', Brah," he called to Williams, holding up the box.

"Chin! It's Saturday. Why are you here?"

"I've been doing some research and wanted to come in and check some things out. Have a coco puff."

"Let's get the coffee going," Danny said. "Where's Kono when we need her?" he asked with a grin.

"You're walking on thin ice today, aren't you?" Chin asked.

"Hey! She's not here," Danny replied with a wider grin, only then noticing Chin's eye movements pointing behind him.

"She's behind me, isn't she?" Danny asked with a groan.

"Yes, _she_ is," Kono answered. "And she heard you. Hope you enjoy making the coffee today. And I expect mine to be hand-delivered, Detective!"

"Working on your ninja moves, aren't you? Very impressive."

"Nice try, Brah. Make the coffee. Wiki wiki." She grabbed the pastry box. "I'll hold the coco puffs hostage until you bring me a cup."

"Now that's just playing dirty," Danny complained while inserting the coffee into the machine.

"And make sure you put the pot underneath the spout," she reminded him. "Remember the last time?"

"I do remember. And that is why you are much better at this than I am."

"I called her in, by the way," Chin told him. "Was going to call you if you weren't here. But I knew it wasn't your weekend with Grace and since Steve is out of town, I thought you might show up."

"So, you're saying I'm predictable?" Danny asked.

"If the loafer fits…" Chin grinned at him. "Come here," he nodded toward the bullpen area of the office. "I saw something while surfing the web last night," Chin said, moving toward the smart table in the center of the room.

"What's that?" Danny asked, making sure the coffee began dripping before he followed him. Not trusting him, Kono checked the pot herself before following the guys to the computer.

"Let me pull it up, but I thought this was interesting." He navigated to the site he needed and threw the article up on the screens above them. "Yesterday, when we were searching for possible places Steve could be heading, I saw that the president of Guyana left office the day after his inauguration. Didn't think much about it at the time, but look at this."

He highlighted a portion of the article.

"_Rumors abound in Guyana, but there has been no comment from any governmental agency. President and Mrs. Sanchez left for an undisclosed location immediately after his impulsive resignation on Wednesday. At the time, their four year old daughter, Aliyana was not seen with them. Since then, there is speculation that Aliyana has been kidnapped, which prompted the president's immediate resignation. _

_Upon Sanchez's departure, former President Ochoa immediately reclaimed the office, stating Sanchez' inability to govern his people was apparent. Followers of Sanchez took to the streets in protest and were quickly arrested by the state police. Ochoa called in the Army to help dissipate the growing numbers of protesters who were chanting for Sanchez's return._

_We are unable to confirm the validity of this report, but the rumor in Georgetown, Guyana, is that the child has been kidnapped and was then subsequently killed by her kidnappers. There is no concrete evidence of the fact and no verified statements by the current president, or President Sanchez._

After they had read the article, Chin continued, "I keep trying to think why the Navy would call Steve back into service when they have, what, eight full SEAL teams at all times? It doesn't make sense unless Steve was the most qualified person for the position. I know for a fact that the boss has been in Guyana before."

"How'd you pull that piece of information out of him?" Danny asked. "Torture?"

Chin grinned. "No, we were fishing one morning and he mentioned 'sea bob'. Said it was some of the best seafood he had ever eaten. He mentioned the trawlers hauling it in every morning and since I hadn't heard of 'sea bob', I was curious and googled it. Turns out it is native to the Atlantic off the north shore of South America – Guyana and Suriname. I'm going on the assumption he wasn't in South America on vacation."

"I'm guessing that would be a safe assumption," Danny agreed with a nod.

"It's an interesting idea," Kono said. "Would he be looking for the people who killed a little girl?"

"I'd hate to see them when he found them," Danny mumbled, thinking what he would do if he were in that situation.

"I'm going to continue to dig, just out of curiosity," Chin informed them. "And I'll follow the story. Try to find out where Sanchez and his wife are. That may shed some light on why the child isn't with them."

Danny nodded. "Keep us posted. Now, I'm getting coffee," he said, glaring at Kono, while plucking a coco puff from the bag, "and then we need to go over Aukai's confession. I assume those were the files you brought in."

"They were," Chin replied. "Picked them up from HPD first thing. Let's see what we've got."

"Hopefully this case will be finished before the boss gets back in town," Kono said. "At least he'll know we've been working."

"What do you mean, Rookie? We always work," Danny assured her while popping another coco puff in his mouth and then licking his fingers.

_**Saturday evening**_

_**1830 hours GYT (Guyana Time Zone)**_

They dropped line into the jungle, a couple miles from the original point of contact on the beach. The chopper had disappeared before the birds had even stopped their chatter. McGarrett silently signaled his men and they began their trek toward the beach, their black clothing and faces blending in with the shadows. Not far from their destination, Steve stopped and signaled them with two clicks on their radios.

Grayson silently reached his side and they listened to the conversation near them.

"There's no chopper," the presumed kidnapper yelled into his phone, searching the horizon over the ocean while pacing back and forth. "I don't like this. Where is it?" He listened once again and then argued, "No. He called immediately after they left the airstrip. They should have been here in less than an hour, max." He listened again and then replied, "Yeah, well that's what worries me."

He hung up the phone and told his partner, "Chavez didn't have a good feel from the leader of this team. Said he looked and sounded like a hard ass."

"That's what we were told the last time," the second kidnapper replied, laughing. "And that turned out in our favor." He continued to walk the beach, carrying a surface-to-air launcher in preparation for meeting the chopper.

"Yeah, well, I don't like it, so stay alert. Have the boys check the back perimeter once again."

Grayson glanced at McGarrett and caught the nearly imperceptible smile on his face at the 'hard ass' comment. The SEAL team moved away and regrouped.

"Count?" McGarrett asked.

"I got six," Ensign Jackson whispered.

"Same here," Vega agreed.

"Good call on the change on drop zone, McGarrett," Grayson whispered. "Did you get a load of that surface-to-air missile?"

"Yes. Did you also hear him mention Chavez? Granted that's a popular name in this country, but I don't believe in coincidences. Unfortunately, it looks as though a person from our own embassy is mixed up in this."

"Looks like," the lieutenant agreed.

"OK, men, you know what to do. In and out. Make it quick and quiet." McGarrett pointed toward the beach and announced, "He's mine."

The four perimeter guards were soon efficiently eliminated before McGarrett and Grayson moved toward the beach. Grayson immediately took out the guard who was carrying the missile launcher, leaving only the one who had been on the phone. Steve moved up behind him and put him in a choke hold before incapacitating him on the ground. The last thing the man heard was a low voice growling in his ear, "I'm that hard ass. Pleased to meet you."

Vega and Jackson patrolled the area while McGarrett and Grayson were retrieving weapons, phones and arsenal from the soldiers, deciding what to keep and what to throw into the ocean. Grayson checked behind a shack near the beach and came around the corner after making a gruesome discovery.

"Commander?

Steve looked up and nodded for him to continue.

He took a deep breath. "I've got two bodies, Sir. They're ours."

McGarrett quickly followed him into the thick foliage and saw the bodies of two SEALS, both killed by headshots. He squatted down beside them, sighed deeply, and ran his hand over his mouth. "Once we ensure the perimeter is secure, we'll bury them for safe keeping," he told the lieutenant. He glanced up at Grayson and added, "Inform the others."

Steve stared at the two long after the lieutenant had left. One looked to be no more than a kid, although he knew otherwise. While he didn't recognize either of them, that fact didn't matter. They were forged together as part of the same team. "We'll make it right," he promised them, another sigh escaping as he stood. "You have my word."

~~~H50~~~

The SEAL team worked quickly; enemy weapons were disassembled and thrown into the ocean and all communication devices were kept, in hopes of monitoring the enemy. They were on a rigid time schedule; Steve knew they needed to get away from the beach and under cover very quickly. When the patrol didn't check in by phone or radio, someone would come looking.

The bodies of the guards were weighted and dragged out as far as they could into the water. They would return to shore, but McGarrett was counting on the fact that it wouldn't be tonight or tomorrow.

Once clean up was completed, the team stopped and buried their own men in shallow graves. Later, the bodies would be retrieved for a proper burial. No one would be left behind. Words were not spoken over the graves; none were necessary. Each member of the team knew this was a part of the life they had signed on for. Certainly one of the worst parts, but honoring a comrade was indeed a privilege. They saluted the two graves and then blended back into the shadows of the jungle, making base camp near the bank of the Demerara River.

There, they ate cold MRE's and planned their strategy for the next day.

McGarrett outlined their next move. "The compound is approximately eleven clicks from the beach, on the opposite side of the river." He passed around the map for them to see. "Looks as if the river widens before we get there, but then narrows again just past the house. Two of us will go in from the front and two will take the back. Vega, you're the munitions expert. You and Jackson take the rear, set the charges and cross back over the river to give us cover if we need it. Grayson, you and I will go in the front, sweep the house and set interior charges if necessary."

"Sir," Jackson commented. "We still have two SEALs unaccounted for. Do you think they are detained at the compound?"

Steve rubbed his hand over his mouth and nodded. "Possibly. Hopefully. I don't think they are out here someplace on their own or they would have buried their team members. But if they are alive and Ochoa and his men have them, they won't be in good shape, especially not after this length of time."

"I agree," Grayson added. "And the way the brush was broken on the path away from the beach, it looks like something heavy had been dragged through there. I'm counting on it being two SEALs.

"Let's hope. Now, to be clear," Steve reiterated, "these men have murdered at least two SEALs and have also killed an innocent child. This is going to be 'hit and forget'. We're going in, doing as much damage as possible, and then we're getting the hell out of there. Any questions?"

He looked at each man individually, each giving him a negative reply.

"Good." Steve checked his watch. "It's 2100. We'll take three hour shifts; two up and two down. Vega and Jackson, your call; do you want first or second watch?"

They glanced at each other and shrugged. "We'll patrol first if that's OK."

"OK with you, Grayson?"

The lieutenant nodded. "I'm from the U.P. Been camping on the lakes all my life and can sleep anytime, anywhere. Not a problem, Sir."

"Lieutenant, I have no clue what the 'UP' is," Steve replied.

"Not the 'UP', Sir, the U.P. - Upper Peninsula in Michigan. No better place on God's green earth!"

"I'm from Hawaii, so we can debate that another time," McGarrett replied with a grin. "Wake us at midnight, men," he told Vega and Jackson. "We move out at 0300. Sunrise should be around 0530 and if we're lucky we can be at the compound around that time. Hopefully we can get to them before they are all up and moving. And one thing, guys…"

Three voices chorused in "Yes, Sir?"

"Lose the 'sir'. Got it?"

He grinned at his men, threw his pack against a tree and settled down against it. "See you in three."

~~~H50~~~


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Sunday morning, 0538 GYT**_

Muted daylight filtered through the trees as the SEAL team watched the compound. They had yet to cross the river, but watched the activity through binoculars, seeing only two men patrol the area.

_Too easy, _Steve thought, worried that while they had the enemy radios, there had been no chatter, no attempt to rouse the men on the beach at all during the night. He could smell a set up a mile away. And right now, there was a stink in the air.

"You feel this is wrong as much as I do?" Grayson asked.

"Oh, yeah," McGarrett whispered. "They're waiting for us. So…change of plan. I think we all go further upstream and backtrack. There are two guards on the perimeter. Have you noticed how interested they are in that shed over there past the garage, even while not trying to be obvious about it?"

"Saw that, Sir, uh, McGarrett," Vega replied with a grin. "Any guesses what's inside?"

"I'm hoping two SEALs," Steve answered. "But we'll find out soon. Vega, take point. I've got your six."

They followed the river for another click and just beyond, found a narrow spot to cross.

"I'll go first," McGarrett told his men when they reached the bank. "Give me a minute to check the other side, then I'll give the OK to proceed." He looked down and saw boot imprints on the bank and pointed toward them. "Get rid of those. No need to announce our arrival in case anyone comes looking for us."

He crossed over and disappeared into the jungle while they waited near the bank. Minutes later, he reappeared and gave them the all clear and they began to cross, Grayson bringing up the rear after removing the evidence of their passing. Once they were together, they took time to erase their prints on that bank before heading toward the compound.

"Looks like changing of the guard," McGarrett whispered, looking at the area through the binoculars as one of the guards near the edge of the property was approached by a second soldier. "Listen…" he told his men, while not taking his eyes off the guards. Their voices were low, but they were able to make out the words.

"_Anything?" _the replacement guard asked.

"_Boring as hell out here. Are they sure the Intel was right?"_

"_All I was told is that the president is on his way from Georgetown with back up troops. Lost touch with the detail sent to head off the chopper, so the Americans know something is up. But they won't know what's gonna hit them once Ochoa gets here with reinforcements."_

The second guard grinned._ "I don't know the reason, but he really has it in for the Americans. This is gonna be fun."_

"_Yeah, you better take Garcia and go eat while you can. I'll cover back here while you're gone. You may not get another chance to eat today. Who knows when all this is will hit the fan?"_

McGarrett whispered once again, "Gonna hit pretty damn quickly, my friend, so enjoy that breakfast."

Steve got his men close as the guards switched off; one calling to Garcia and moving toward the house. The second began his patrol, never knowing he was already being watched.

"Looks like now is our best bet if reinforcements are truly coming in. We need to hit before they arrive," McGarrett decided. "Vega, time the charges from the inside out; house first, then exterior buildings and surrounding area. Jackson, you're with him. Be on the lookout for our two SEALS. Grayson, you take out this guy and meet me at the shed. Hopefully we'll find our men there. Jackson, if we do, you'll get the signal to proceed with charges in the outbuildings, but we'll need time to get them out. Meet back at the point we left the river. Questions? No? Let's do this."

McGarrett moved closer to the shed while Grayson snuck around to blindside the guard. Steve didn't wait to see the outcome of the skirmish, but made his move once he saw the guard turn away. Reaching the far side of the shed, he looked for windows or openings. There was ventilation grate near the top, but no windows. He would have to move to the door, which unfortunately was in view of the back of the house.

A quick glance around the corner and Steve saw the door and lock mechanism and grinned. Instead of a lock on the door, a metal bar was stuck down into the hasp. _Thanks, guys_. _Piece of cake._

He pulled the metal out of the lock and quietly opened the door, not knowing what he might find on the other side. He held his SIG in his hand and slipped inside, staying flat against the outside wall while latching the door behind him.

Movement from behind the door caused him to quickly turn and the blow that was aimed at his head managed to bounce off his shoulder. He grabbed the man's arm and twisted, pushing him up against the wall, his weapon in the other hand, ready to use.

"Not nice," Steve spoke while holding the man in a vice-like grip. He pressed harder and asked, "Name?"

"Go to hell," the man gritted out.

A weak voice in the far corner spoke quietly. "Let 'im go, Dog, that's Buck."

Steve recognized the voice and turned to the side to peer at the shadow in the dark corner while releasing some of the pressure on the person who had tackled him. "Boomer?"

"Yeah, man. Have we been here so long that Guyana has been annexed by Hawaii?"

"What?" Steve asked, his forehead creasing in confusion while releasing Buck and taking a good look at the man. A rag was tied around his head, holding a dirty bandage in place. He watched the man limp back over to the pallet and slide down the wall to land next to his friend. Steve activated the tactical light on his SIG-Sauer P226 and crossed the small, rank, musty room to get a closer look at the two.

"Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you," Boomer said, slapping McGarrett on the knee when he knelt in front of him, "but why exactly did they send you?"

"Long story for later. Think you two can travel?"

Boomer had a rag tied above his left knee and the pants leg was stiff with blood. He also had blood across his torso.

"Hell, yeah," Boomer said. "Say the word."

"Where were you hit?" Steve asked, shining the light on the man's stomach.

Boomer shook his head. "I'm good."

"He's got a bullet in his gut," Buck told Steve. "It's infected, he's running a fever and they took our supplies. I did what I could with water but couldn't remove the bullet. The leg wound was a through and through."

A noise outside the door alerted them and Steve quickly moved back against the door, relaxing when Grayson slipped inside.

"Heard you from outside the grate," he pointed to the vent, "So I sent the boys in to set the charges."

"Good." Steve nodded, turning back to the captive SEALs. "We'll get you out of here soon. Buck, how badly are you hurt?"

"Bullet grazed my head. I'll be fine. Just give me a weapon."

"Headaches, constant nausea, hurling every meager morsel they give him to eat, yeah, he's peachy," Boomer drawled.

"We've got you now," Grayson assured them. "Charges are being set, so we'd best get busy and get out of here."

"Affirmative," McGarrett replied.

"You blowing up the house?" Boomer asked.

"Yeah, Boomer, I know that's your job, but you're gonna have to let someone else handle it this time," McGarrett shot back.

"No, wait. You can't. The kid is still in there."

Steve shook his head and sighed. "Not anymore. We got confirmation yesterday that she had been killed. Our mission is to find you guys and blow the place."

"No, seriously, she's alive," Boomer argued. "We heard her last night. Didn't we?" He turned to Buck for confirmation.

Buck thought, and then nodded. "Yeah, she was crying and that shrew of a woman watching her started screaming again." He reached up and rubbed his forehead. "I know my timeline is all screwed up, but it was probably sometime in the middle of last night when we heard her."

"You're sure?" McGarrett asked.

"I'd stake my life on it," Boomer replied.

"That may be exactly what you're doing," Steve admitted. "Ochoa is on his way here with back up, so we need to hurry." He looked at the two captives, and then turned to Grayson. "Get these men back to our designated spot and wait for Vega and Jackson. I'm going in to find the girl."

"Those explosives are already set. You said house first, remember?"

"Yeah. That's why we need to move. Grayson, Boomer's gonna need some help."

"I'll be fine," the man argued.

"Buck, can you handle this?" Steve asked, handing over his back up pistol.

"Absolutely," Buck replied, getting the feel of it in his hand. "And I will not hesitate to use it if anyone gets in my way." He held out his hand again as Steve dropped a couple clips of ammo into it.

McGarrett slid the door open a crack and glanced into the yard, still seeing no other guards. "Any idea where the girl is?"

"Last night, the crying was coming from one of the rooms on the right. Sorry, we haven't been inside so we don't have a layout."

"I'll find her," he whispered, sliding out the door. "See you soon."

~~~H50~~~

_**Sunday Morning, 0618 GYT**_

_Sure are lax on guards,_ Steve thought when he simply turned the knob and eased into the back door which opened into a utility area off the kitchen. A quick glance into the large kitchen showed two soldiers eating what appeared to be fish for breakfast. One stood and threw his paper plate into the trash, picking up his weapon as he did so. He turned to head back outside but was struck in the throat with the butt of Steve's M4A1 Carbine. He started to go down and was struck again in the temple before he hit the floor. His comrade turned at the sound and was also butted with the weapon before he could sound an alarm.

McGarrett slid down the hallway to the right, listening for a child's voice. The first room was empty and he came to the second, listening at the closed door. He heard a woman's voice complaining. And then he heard a cry.

He glanced behind him and still no one had found the soldiers or sounded an alarm. He silently opened the door, hearing the girl whimper, "I want mommy." The nanny struck the little girl across the face, knocking her to the floor. She then picked up a brown bottle and poured some of its contents onto a rag.

"I told you your momma doesn't want a crybaby like you anymore. She's going to have a new baby. Now shut up and get over—"

Steve eased the door closed and snaked one arm around her neck and the other over her mouth, jerking her backwards against his chest. "Don't you dare talk to her like that," he growled in her ear. Keeping one hand over her mouth, he grasped her other hand to her face forcing her to breathe in the chloroform fumes from the rag she held. She continued to fight him until her body went limp, at which time he dropped her unconscious body to the bed.

During this action the little girl lay on the floor, her hands covering her eyes, emitting soft whimpers. He kneeled down next to her and she recoiled when he placed his hand on her back.

Steve leaned down to speak with her, awkwardly patting her back. "Hey, Aliyana, I'm here to take you home. I know I probably look really scary right now, but I'll take care of you," he assured her, realizing his face was smeared half black and he was covered in scratches from traveling through the jungle. "Come on, we have to be very quiet so we can get out of here."

She still wouldn't look at him, so he went about the escape. The window was just a few feet off the ground and he raised it, thankful there were no screens to kick out. He grabbed a blanket off the bed and then kneeled down beside her once again.

"Aliyana, listen to me, we're going to get out of here. Come on, look at me, please." He placed his hands around her arms and pulled her into a sitting position, then tucked a finger under her chin. She finally looked at him with wide brown eyes swimming with tears. "Do you understand that we need to be quiet? We're going to have to run, but I'm going to carry you, Ok?" He received no verbal response but he saw acceptance in her eyes and when he picked her up, she didn't fight him away or scream, so he considered that a point in his favor.

He lowered her and the blanket out the window, down to the ground and held his finger to his mouth for her to be quiet. Steve had one leg through the window when he heard the commotion from the kitchen, so he quickly dove through the opening, hearing shouts coming down the hall. At the same time, he heard a voice out front yelling, "The convoy is coming."

He grabbed the girl into his arms, threw the blanket over her and began running along the tree line at the edge of the property, trying to reach the cover of the shed before he was spotted. The back door was thrown back on its hinges and he heard someone scream "There! Get him."

Steve ran, his head tucked down and both arms wrapped around the little girl's body covered in the blanket. The ground began spitting dirt around his feet as he bolted for the shed. Immediately, he heard returning fire from the jungle beyond the shed.

_So much for_ "_meet me at the river_," he thought.

He reached the corner of the shed when the first explosion hit. The gunfire immediately ceased and he heard surprised screams in its place. He pressed up against the shed and checked as a second and third explosions rocked the house.

Knowing that the outbuildings would soon go up as well, he took off once more, reaching the tree line under enemy fire. Several feet into the jungle, he met up with his team. Grayson and Buck were helping Boomer, his arms across both of their shoulders. Vega and Jackson took up the rear, continuing to lay down cover fire before watching as in succession, the garage, barn, and then the shed blew, raining down fire and debris.

"Trucks are pulling up out front, McGarrett," Vega told him as they pushed further into the jungle, feeling the heat at their backs.

Steve panted, and then replied, "And once they assess the damage, they'll be on our tail. We need to get across the river. Let's move."

"Hold it," Grayson came to a halt. "Boomer, we're going to step this up. Sorry, man, but this is gonna hurt," he apologized and threw the injured SEAL over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Jackson reached out and pulled Buck's arm across his shoulder. "Tiring out there, Sir?" he asked as they began to run in unison.

"Just dizzy," the medic admitted. "And a bit out of shape after not moving around this week."

They reached the river without incident and quickly began to cross; Vega bringing up the rear and wiping away their footprints as he walked. Once on the other side, they continued walking south, away from the ocean in hopes of throwing off their pursuers. Unfortunately, they were also moving away from their planned upon pick-up point.

They traveled several more minutes, until Buck could walk no more.

"Okay," McGarrett looked around a small clearing. "Let's assess our situation." He sat on a fallen log while the wounded were placed on the ground. Steve pulled the blanket off his small bundle and the girl finally saw the men around her. She was sweaty from being under the cover, and streaks from her tears trailed down her dirty face. Frightened brown eyes looked at each of the men and then she quickly hid her head in Steve's chest.

Boomer lay on the ground, panting in pain, but he didn't miss the little girl's actions. "Doggie's got a girlfriend," he sing-songed, gulping in pants of air.

McGarrett rolled his eyes, and leaned forward. "Vega, can you pull off my pack?" he asked. When he had it in front of him, he unzipped it and reached in for the pink rabbit. "Hey, Aliyana, I've got something for you. Want to see?"

She didn't move, her head pressed firmly against his chest, her eyes closed.

He tickled her cheek with the rabbit's ear. "I think his name is Mr. Flopsy. Don't you want to say 'hi'?"

Her head moved to the side and she reached out to retrieve the rabbit, a shy smile on her face as she tucked him under her chin, then turned into Steve's chest once again.

"It's OK, little one. You're safe now." He looked at his team, watching as Jackson was checking Boomer's wound.

"What's it look like?" he asked the man.

"Infected. But I don't think it hit anything vital. Bullet just needs to come out before he's going to start getting better. Do you agree, Buck?"

The other medic nodded. "Wish I had the tools when it happened and I could have gotten the bullet out," Buck replied, "but they took my pack and laughed when I asked for it back."

"You were seeing two of everything, Bucko. Think I was going to let you come at me with a scalpel? I might have lost a body part I'm extremely fond of," Boomer gritted out, sucking in air when the wound was touched.

"I'm going to clean it some and then bind it until we can stop for longer," Jackson decided. "After I finish here, I'm looking at your head wound, Buck, so just sit tight."

"I'm fine," the medic told him, then leaned over and threw up what little he had in his stomach.

"Sure you are," McGarrett agreed with him.

"Almost fine," the SEAL amended, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as Vega passed him a canteen of water.

"I have a question, men. Remember last night when I told you guys to lose the 'sir'?" Steve asked.

Grayson nodded and the other two acknowledged in the affirmative.

Steve continued, "Nowhere in that conversation did I indicate I wasn't still in charge. What part of 'we'll meet at the river' was unclear? Maybe I need to work on my grammar."

"Well, Sir," Vega began…

"Not their fault, McGarrett," Boomer began, gritting his teeth when Jackson began bandaging his wound. "I told them I had already lost two team members in this hell-hole and I had no intention of leaving another one behind. It was my call, not theirs."

Steve started to argue that this was his team, and not Buck's, but knew it didn't matter. A SEAL was a SEAL. They looked out for each other. He nodded at Boomer and told him, "We buried your men near the beach. We'll have them out of there once we have transport."

"Appreciate it," Boomer replied with a nod as Jackson turned away and moved to Buck. "They were good men. They were picked off right after the chopper flew away." He hit his fist on the ground. "This entire mission was a CF from the start. They knew exactly where to expect us."

"Yeah, we figured that out," McGarrett replied, unaware he was sitting there patting Aliyana on the back, a fact that didn't escape Boomer's notice.

Jackson finished cleaning and bandaging the wound on the side of Buck's head and moved toward Steve. "Want me to check her out?" he asked.

McGarrett looked down and realized the girl was asleep, and he shook his head and whispered, "Let's wait. She seems fine for now. But the nanny backhanded her and knocked her to the floor before I could get to her. It was all I could do to keep from breaking that woman's neck."

"I'll try to look her over later," Jackson replied, brushing back the little girl's hair. "If the nanny hit her once, I'm sure it wasn't the first time. But you may have to help…doesn't look like she's going to let you go anytime soon."

"She's scared," Steve told him, trying to get her in a more comfortable position, unsure himself what that might even be. Looking down at her, he realized he was totally out of his element. Looking back up, he assessed the men around him. "We'll rest for a few more minutes then head out again. Is there anything you can give Boomer to make the trip easier?"

Jackson nodded. "Already taken care of. Dose of antibiotics and a shot of morphine—"

"And I'm feelin' fine," Boomer added, a drug-induced grin on his face.

McGarrett took a deep breath and glanced at his watch. ""We missed our initial pick up by the beach. If we can find a suitable place, we'll make a better camp and contact base for another fly by. By now, I'm sure they are wondering what's going on."

~~~H50~~~

**_ok, REALLY? Did you think I was going to kill someone's little girl? :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: I should have made note of this in the last chapter, but I forgot. The rescued SEALs were two SEALS I introduced in a previous story, **__**Hekili Pao. I sort of liked these guys and wanted to bring them back for more!**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Sunday morning, 0940 GYT**_

The SEAL team continued its trek southbound, pausing every few minutes to listen to the jungle sounds around them. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening, but Steve knew they were being pursued. He felt it in his gut… and by the hair standing at attention on the back of his neck.

His team was a good one. The men traded off helping Boomer and Buck while he carried Aliyana in a makeshift sling made from strips of the blanket he had pilfered from the house. The strips were tied at his back and criss-crossed over his chest, holding her in place. The pouch held her and he had one arm around her, the other carrying his weapon.

The girl had yet to speak and rarely looked at her surroundings. The pink bunny was tightly held in her right hand and occasionally he saw her thumb in her mouth, but mostly she hid her face in his shirt in an attempt to block out the world around her. He knew she had to be in shock from everything that had happened in the last few days, but he was clueless to dealing with four year olds.

Especially four-year-old girls.

So, while the mission was SOP, Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett was out of his element. He moved his hand from her back up to her neck and cleared his throat.

"You know, I've got a friend name Grace who is a few years older than you. We have a lot of fun together. She likes to go get shave ice." He looked down at her. "You ever have shave ice, Ali?"

He received no response, but the thumb came out of her mouth and he knew she was listening. "No shave ice? It's good stuff. Maybe we can get some when all this is over. And I don't think I ever told you my name. It's Steve and I'm a friend of your father's. But Grace calls me Uncle Steve, so if you wanted to call me that, I guess that would be OK, too."

He continued to walk, his left hand supporting her in the sling, his right, carrying the carbine. He glanced down to see her looking up at him, but the minute their eyes made contact, she hid her face against his chest once again.

"No to Uncle Steve? That's cool, too. You don't have to talk. Let's see… I work in Hawaii with Gracie's dad. She calls him 'Danno', and I call him that, sometimes, too, just 'cause it makes him a little bit mad. He always says, 'My name is Danny, not Danno'." Steve told her in a gruff voice.

Still no response, so he kept walking and talking. "I've got two other friends who I work with, too. They are cousins, named Chin," he reached around her and touched her chin, "just like that one, and Kono. Kono's a girl, but she would probably hit me if I called her a girl. She likes to surf in the ocean when she's not working. They are my team and we work together all the time. But your daddy—" he felt her tense up again when he mentioned her father, "your daddy asked me to come and find you, so that's why I'm here with these men."

At the mention of her father, Aliyana tried to bury herself deeper into Steve's chest. He went back to rubbing her back. "You know," he quietly told her, "I heard what that woman said to you this morning. About your parents not wanting you anymore. Ali, sometimes bad people lie, and she was lying to you. I promise. Your mommy and daddy are very sad that you aren't with them and they both asked me to come find you. Mommy even gave me Mr. Flopsy to bring to you. And now Flopsy and I found you so we can take you back to live with them." He looked down and tilted her chin to try and get her to look at him, but she squeezed her eyes shut, a tear sneaking out to trail down her dusty face. "They are going to be so excited when they find out that you are all right. Isn't that right, Mr. Flopsy? What? Did you hear him, Ali? I think he said 'yes'."

It was soft, and didn't last long, but he could have sworn he heard a quiet giggle rumbling in the vicinity of his chest.

_**Sunday afternoon, 1315 GYT**_

"Commander, these men have gone about as far as they can," Grayson quietly told his team leader, nodding in the direction of their wounded SEALs. "Buck's ready to pass out." They had stopped for water and a short rest to catch their breath. Grayson had taken point and had motioned to McGarrett that he intended to check out their route ahead. He continued, "I scouted on ahead and there's a clearing for a possible chopper rendezvous about a click ahead. There's a good spot to set up camp for a bit, too. I know the men are undernourished and I don't know about her," he nodded to the girl, who had once again been lulled to sleep by the walk, "but I'm guessing she's hungry, too."

"Good call, Grayson. You lead on and we'll follow."

A make-shift camp was quickly set up in the clearing, the two injured men now resting on the ground. Grayson and Vega were hanging camo netting from tree to tree above the site.

Steve sat, leaning against a tree, pulling the strips of blanket off Aliyana. She sat up and looked around, yawned and rubbed her eyes, but didn't make a move to get up or speak. He touched her face, willing her to look at him. "You OK?" he asked, ducking his head and finally making eye contact.

She looked down, clutching the rabbit to her chest, still mute. He blew out a breath and touched the rabbit's ear. "Mr. Flopsy, maybe she'll talk to you, so use those long ears and listen really, really well, OK?"

Once again the corners of her mouth turned up, but she hid in his chest one more time.

McGarrett slid her sideways off his lap, but she clung to his shirt. 'Hey, just a second, I'm not going anywhere. I just want to get my backpack off. I'm right here," he assured her. She sat next to him on her knees, watching as he maneuvered the pack off his shoulders.

"Need any help, Boss?" Vega asked.

"Going to get the SAT phone and call us in. Grayson, you did a good job in finding the clearing. Chopper shouldn't have any problem at all finding us and I estimate we are maybe two-two-and-a-half hours from Trinidad. Guys, we should have you in a hospital soon."

Steve stood up before making the call and immediately had two small arms wrapped around his left leg, holding him in place.

"Doesn't look like you're going any place, Smooth Dog," Boomer chuckled. "Girlfriend's already got you tied down."

"I can see that," Steve replied, looking down to his leg. "Grayson," he pointed down to the child, "maybe you can…"

The lieutenant came over and knelt down at her eye level. "Ali, think you could stay with me for a few minutes so Steve could use the telephone in quiet?"

Her response was to squeeze her hold tighter.

"Not working," McGarrett muttered. "Look, Ali, I'll be right over there," he pointed. "You can watch me, OK? I need to use the phone so we can get a chop—a helicopter to come pick us up."

She still didn't speak, but she also didn't let go. McGarrett finally rolled his eyes and reached down and picked her up. "OK, _**we'll**_ go over here and make the call."

"Like I said, Doggie," Boomer teased again, "you're tied to the apron strings. Guess you could do worse than the president's daughter, though."

"I hope you get well soon," Steve muttered while stepping over the injured man. "So I can kick your a—butt."

"Promises, promises," Boomer answered. "Better check with your better half there first."

~~~H50~~~

McGarrett wasn't on the phone for long. He spoke to the admiral and relayed that they had found two injured SEALs and two KIA, had set charges and blew the compound but were now being pursued by Ochoa and his soldiers. The base camp at the Embassy took their coordinates from the phone and the admiral assured him that their transport, another Chinook, would be arriving in approximately three hours.

He turned back to his men and relayed the message, eliciting a sigh of relief from all.

"What did they say when you mentioned Ali?" Buck asked.

Steve didn't speak for a moment. "I didn't," he finally admitted. "The Sanchez's are still reeling with shock right now. I don't want to give them the good news until we have her closer to home."

They all read between the lines. Their location could be compromised at any moment and he didn't want to build false hope in her parents when the entire mission could go south at any given time.

Boomer nodded. "I would have made the same call. Now… we have the time… tell me why they tagged you for this mission. And once again, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but you weren't exactly the first person I would have thought would have knocked on our door."

Steve sat down next to his wounded friend and once again settled the little girl on his lap. "Remember back in '06 when the students were kidnapped in Guyana?" He continued at his friend's nod. "I was on that team. Sanchez and I worked together trying to oust Ochoa but we couldn't get any solid proof he was involved. Sanchez remembered my name and requested me."

"Well, we've got the proof now, and we should be able to nail him."

McGarrett grinned. "And we will." He patted Ali on the back. "Trust me."

~~~H50~~~

The men kept close eyes on their watches, waiting for transport. Buck managed to sleep some after trying to eat. Boomer refused food, but the morphine kept him in a quiet state as long as he remained still.

And McGarrett was frustrated with a little girl who refused to eat. Although he really couldn't blame her. MREs didn't taste the best even when you were starving. But she wouldn't even open her mouth. He gave up on the packaged meal and felt down in his backpack.

"Hey? How about trail mix? Do you like this?" He opened the pack and poured raisins, cranberries and nuts into his hand. She looked from him, to his hand and then back again, presumably asking permission. "Go ahead… eat some." He reached for an almond and popped it into his mouth. "See… good."

She hesitantly took a couple of raisins and ate them, then quickly ate all the fruit in his hand. When he added what was left of the pack, she ate those, too, but didn't touch the nuts.

"You don't like nuts?" Steve asked.

She shook her head. _Finally a response._

"Then can I eat these?" he asked.

A nod this time. _More like a bounce of her head, but he would accept any response._

"Good," he told her, grinning as he threw them in his mouth, "because I _**do**_ like them. Let's see if I can find some more." He reached into his pack and pulled out another small bag. "OK, here we go…some for you and some for me." He glanced up at his team. "If anyone has trail mix, I'm calling dibs. So far, it's the only thing she'll eat."

"You have anything good to trade?" Jackson asked with a grin. "I don't give up my food for just nothin'."

McGarrett placed a finger underneath Ali's chin. "Just look at that face. You going to say 'no' to that?"

"Ouch!" Jackson grinned. "The man plays hardball." He tossed over a package of trail mix. "We'll negotiate later."

"Deal."

Shortly before the three hours was up, they heard the whap-whap of chopper blades in the distance. The men stood and gathered their gear, prepared to move into the clearing for pick up.

McGarrett stood and quickly barked out, "Silence!"

They all turned to look at him, confusion written on their faces.

"Something's not right," he muttered. "The admiral said a Chinook was coming. That's making too much noise for a Chinook."

"Maybe they made a change," Jackson replied.

Steve shook his head. "Listen. I don't think that's one of ours. Everyone stay under cover."

The chopper came into view and they readily saw that it was not a United States military bird. "Get ready to move," McGarrett ordered. "We've been made."

He quickly set Aliyana down, threw on his backpack, grabbed her sling and picked her back up, then threw the strap of his carbine over his right shoulder.

They waited, not moving while the bird circled the area several times, dropping as low as it could without hitting the treetops. They remained underneath the camo netting, barely breathing while the chopper circled again and again. Aliyana had both hands over her ears and still trembled from the noise. Steve kept his left hand over hers on her ear, holding her close to his body in an attempt to stifle the noise. He tried to calm his breathing even though his own body was tense with anticipation.

After several slow circles, the chopper moved away and they all breathed out. "You know that's a good indicator that ground troops aren't far behind," McGarrett told his team.

"Yes, Sir," Vega replied. "I can watch our six."

"Good. You two," he nodded to Jackson and Grayson, "alternate by taking point and helping Boomer. Stay under cover. We'll move to higher ground and then discuss our options. Let's move out."

~~~H50~~~

They had been traveling slightly upward all day, stopping for breaks and changing off on duties. All but McGarrett, who continued to carry his own cargo. Aliyana and Mr. Flopsy seemed to take everything in stride. Still no conversation, but Steve didn't say much either, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for trouble.

They had heard the chopper twice more, but had hunkered down in the foliage during those sweeps. They hadn't caught sight of any ground troops, but McGarrett knew they were there. And not too far away. His team couldn't cover the ground as quickly as a fresh, non-injured group could.

And he knew that by nightfall, they would have a fight on their hands.

It was not something he looked forward to. Especially with two critically injured team members and a baby in his arms.

~~~H50~~~


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Sunday, 1630 GYT**_

They had found a level area for a look out from where they could see the jungle floor before them. A grove of thick bushes acted as concealment for their camp. They sat, keeping a watchful eye on the terrain they had just traveled, plotting their next move.

"Good call on the chopper, Commander," Grayson told him. "How'd you pick up on that?"

"Lots of missions spent waiting on back up or pick up," McGarrett admitted. "Always learn to identify the different modes of transportation. It might save your life someday."

"Maybe today," Grayson said, with a nod. "I'll work on that."

Steve thought, while opening another package of trail mix for Ali, pouring some out into her small hands. "I think the admiral was trying to send a message of warning," Steve told them. "He distinctly told me a Chinook was heading our way. There was no reason he should have been that specific."

"Think your phone was bugged?" Jackson asked.

"Probably," McGarrett replied with a grin. "That's why I gave it a toss before we left the last camp."

"So, you're saying we don't have communication," Vega asked.

"No, that's not exactly what I said," Steve replied with a shake of his head. "I'm working on a plan."

A weak voice chimed in from across the camp. "Wait for it, boys, he has a plan."

Steve poured out more raisins. "You hanging in there, Boomer?"

"Yeah. Morphine is my friend."

"Have you guys known each other long?" Jackson asked.

Steve nodded. "A few years. Boomer and Buck helped get me out of a mess in Afghanistan."

"Don't forget your recent cave experience," Buck reminded him.

"Trust me, I won't for a long time," Steve replied, and then explained to the others. "A few months ago, in Hawaii, I was chasing a perp and we went over a cliff into the ocean. I ended up trapped in a cave and these guys showed up and blasted the thing apart and got me out."

"Funny how we keep running into each other, when least expected," Boomer said. "So, thanks for the payback."

"Maybe sometime we can actually schedule a meeting and not have a disaster attached," Buck told them. "I'd rather meet you over a few beers in Hawaii than in a jungle in the middle of nowhere."

"Then listen up. I have an idea," Steve told them.

He felt a tug on his shirt and glanced down. Ali had eaten all the raisins and cranberries and held out a handful of nuts for him.

"Are those for me? Thank you," he said, smiling at her and pushing the hair out of her face. He threw some nuts into his mouth and reached for the topical map he carried, setting it on the ground so they could see.

"We're compromised. We know that. Don't know how many are following us, but we do know they have air transport, so they could be on us at any time. If that happens, we will be ready to fight. But that doesn't get us out of here." He looked at each of the men gathered around him and continued,

"Our transport has been sidelined, along with our communications back to the base team. I feel certain that Chavez from the U.S. Embassy is in with Ochoa. I don't know how, but he has managed to get control of the base in Trinidad."

"So how do we get a message back to the admiral?" Vega asked.

"We don't. We get our own way out of here."

"And how will we do that without communication?" Jackson asked, a frown on his face.

Steve reached into the bottom of his backpack and pulled out a new phone, still in the wrapping. "I have communication. Just not with the admiral."

"Sir?" Vega asked. "And I know, 'don't call you sir,' but carrying unauthorized devices is against protocol."

McGarrett nodded. "I know it is. But sometimes changing procedure or protocol can also save your life. And the lives of those around you. You need to remember that everything isn't totally by the book."

"So what base are you going to call?" Grayson asked.

"I think I know," Boomer replied. "And if my guess is correct, it isn't a base."

Steve looked at his friend and nodded. "What do you think?"

"Trust your instinct, Dog. I wouldn't argue with it."

Steve nodded again. "Men, check out the map. We are very close to the border between Guyana and Suriname. If we can get back across the river, we'll be in Suriname. I think I can arrange for pick up, but it will take time."

"How much time?" Jackson asked. "These men need medical help."

"I know that. And we have Aliyana to consider, too," Steve reached down and rubbed her back. Any time he sat, she was in his lap, one hand clutching his shirt, the other holding on to Mr. Flopsy's ears. She seemed to be listening intently on their conversation, while watching McGarrett's every move.

"I have a friend in Hawaii who can make some calls and get us a chopper. I would feel better if transport flew into Suriname rather than Guyana. Even though we have been traveling away from the coast, we still aren't that far from the ocean. I think we can get transport and make it back to Trinidad safely. But, here's the problem. Nightfall comes early here, so it will most likely be morning before anything can happen."

McGarrett looked at the men around him. "Questions?"

"Give Danny my love," Boomer said. "Make the call."

_**Sunday, 1100 HST; 1700 GYT**_

Chin Ho opened his door after hearing two loud thuds. "Hey, Brah, did you just kick my door?"

"Well, my arms are a bit full of necessities," Danny said, indicating the three bags in one hand and the beer in the other.

Chin grabbed a couple bags and closed the door behind him. "I just started the grill," he told his friend. "Kono's already out there. Are you sure about this?"

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Danny asked. "I promise, this will be the best lunch you've ever eaten. Eating dogs and brats straight from the grill is like heaven. Trust me."

"And what are the clogged arteries?" the Hawaiian asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Details," Danny assured him. "You'll run off all the bad stuff."

"Hey, I've got a question," Kono asked, meeting them in the kitchen and grabbing the remaining bag from Danny's hand. "Why haven't you ever cooked when the boss is around?"

"Why? Why, you ask? Because that moron wouldn't stoop so low as to put a mere hot dog into his body. Let alone one of my wonderful-Jersey-steamed-in-beer brats. His loss, I might add."

"Hey, before we start, I want to show you something," Chin said, moving back to the living room where his laptop set on the coffee table. "I was checking the world news again this morning and something else popped up that I thought was interesting."

Danny plopped down on the couch next to Chin. "What's that?"

"Look," he navigated and pointed to the screen. "First there was the problem in Guyana with the president leaving office and fleeing the country. Now, there are problems in Trinidad/Tobago, which aren't too far off the coast of Guyana. The U.S. Embassy there was attacked and there is a hostage situation. Looks like several people were killed as unknown assailants stormed the place. No ransom or anything as yet."

"When did this happen?" Kono asked.

"This morning… around eight, their time. I was just wondering if the two incidents are connected."

Danny shrugged. "Possibly. But what you really want to know is if our own Boy-Wonder-SEAL was involved."

"Yes," Chin replied and nodded. "That is my question."

Danny nodded. "Mine, too."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Danny's cell phone. He glanced at the unknown number as he answered.

"Williams."

"Danny."

"Steven! Are you back?" He held the phone away from his ear to check the telephone number once again.

"No, not yet. Listen, I need your help. But, listen to me. What I'm going to say is highly sensitive. Just by placing this call, I could be dismissed from the Navy or thrown in the brig. I'm on a secure SAT phone and you need to remember this number."

"OK, it's on my phone. I'll keep it. Listen, I'm with Chin and Kono. And since they already know this is you, can I put you on speaker?"

"Sure, they can help, too."

"OK, you're on."

"Hey, Guys," Steve began. "I need—"

"Tell 'em Boomer says 'hey'," was heard muffled in the background.

"Who was that?" Danny asked.

"That's Boomer. Long story. Can we focus here?"

"Yeah, Babe, what do you need?" Danny asked.

"We've… been compromised and need a way out. And I've got a plan."

"Wait. Just wait." Danny began pacing. "Let me get this straight," he began, one hand waving in the air, the other scratching his chin. "You are on a super-secret SEAL mission, and you're calling _**us**_ for backup?"

"Uh… yeah. That sounds about right."

Danny chuckled and clasped his hands together. "Oh, I love it already!"

"What do you need, Boss?" Chin Ho asked.

"We can't make contact with our home base," McGarrett began.

"Could that possibly be the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad/Tobago?" Chin asked.

"How did you know that?" Steve knew his shock registered in the squeak of his voice.

"We're checking world news and guessed you might possibly be in South America. The news this morning reported that the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad has been overtaken by a group of guerillas. No demands yet."

"Why do I even try to keep a secret?" Steve asked.

"We sure the hell don't know," Danny answered.

"Hang on," McGarrett told his 5-0 team as he turned to the SEALs. "The embassy has been overtaken by unknown guerillas. Well, not exactly unknown – I have no doubt where they're from."

"I'm sure you do," he heard Danny state into the phone.

Steve replied, speaking to 'both' of his teams. "But that shouldn't be a worry. There is a Navy Admiral in there; the U.S. won't let this go on long. They'll mop up that situation."

"How can we help you?" Kono asked.

"Danny, remember when Mary was kidnapped and I borrowed a helicopter from my friend, Dave?"

"The chopper you 'commandeered'?"

"Same thing. Dave's a former Navy pilot and I'm going to need his help again. Can you call him to see if he has any contacts who could fly out of either Trinidad or Suriname? If he can, he needs to get them in the vicinity and put them on standby. We are going to need a bird to pick us up – one that can hold at least seven passengers. When we flew into Trinidad, there were some scenic tour helicopters at the airport. One of those would be perfect if he can secure a pilot. But I need you call him and see if there is anything he can do."

"How quickly do you need this?" Danny asked.

"It's almost dusk here, so whatever happens will be sometime tomorrow – hopefully in the morning. We've got a couple of injured men that need medical attention. We are in the jungle and are most likely being pursued. I'll be in touch after we cross the border into Suriname."

"But—"

"Yeah, I know you've got questions, but I'll answer them later. If Dave _**can't**_ get us transport, call me back and we'll figure out Plan B. If I don't her from you, I'll try to contact you around midnight, my time. That's six your time, so hopefully you will know something by then. Listen, can one of you get to my house? There's a new SAT phone on the table. I left it there just for an emergency. Call me back from that phone if you can. Reception will be better."

"I'll get the phone," Chin told him. "Anything else?"

"Not now. We just need to get these men to civilization."

"You OK, Boss Man?" Kono asked.

"Hey, Kono, I'm fine. What are you guys doing on a Sunday afternoon?"

"Eating Jersey hot dogs!" she replied with a laugh. "Look what you're missing."

"Yum. MREs never sounded so good. Later, guys."

"Hey, Steve?"

"Yeah, Danny?"

"Since this is a super-secret mission, is my phone going to self-destruct after I hang up?"

"You watch too much TV. Goodbye, Danno."

~~~H50~~~

Darkness comes swiftly and early in the jungle. That night it arrived with stifling, cloying, humid air that felt like it was closing in on them. Their vantage point allowed them to look out over the thick green foliage, but the location also meant no fire and minimal light for only small periods of time. It was just past 1900 and they had the entire night ahead. Thankfully there was a moon on the horizon which would soon be overhead and shed some light on them.

They had shared meals and had made Boomer as comfortable as possible. Buck was insistent that he felt much better after some _**good**_ food and exercise and was ready for action if need be.

No one believed him, but they chose not to burst his bubble.

Vega found packages of peanut butter crackers in his pack and moved close to McGarrett and Aliyana. "Hey, Chica, look what I have. Do you like peanut butter?"

She shrank away from him, but eyed the crackers. Steve reached out to take them from the sailor but her hand was faster than his to reach them.

They laughed. "I'll take that as a yes," McGarrett told him. "Thanks. All she's had is trail mix today. Can I open them for you?" he asked her.

She released hold of the package and waited patiently while he opened it and then accepted a sandwich from him. He reached for another one and said, "I think this one is mine."

Aliyana dropped Flopsy's ear and grabbed that one in her other fist and shook her head with a 'hands off, Buddy' attitude. He was glad they had found something she would actually eat. She drank water only after all six round sandwiches were gone. When she was finished, she sat on his legs and fidgeted. He reached out and tried to steady her, thinking she would fall, but she continued to wiggle around.

And the reason for her fidgety nature dawned on him. _Well, crap. Wait, let's hope not,_ he thought. _How do I handle it if it is?_ "Um, guys, anyone here have kids?"

"No."

"No way."

"The jury's still out."

"Probably."

"I used to have a dog, but it ran away."

He shook his head. "Well, kid," he muttered. "Looks like we're on our own." Leaning down, he whispered in Aliyana's ear. "These guys think they are real funny, don't they? You need to go to the bathroom?"

She held her knees together and shook her head no.

"Are you sure?" he whispered again, then scooted her off his lap and stood up. He took her hand and said, "Come on." They walked to the edge of the clearing toward the trees.

Boomer opened his mouth and McGarrett pointed a finger. "Not. One. Word. We'll be back."

And Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett learned that there was at least one thing SEAL training did not teach him.

But, thankfully they both survived the trip. Once back in camp, he glanced around to find Vega and Grayson gone. He and Ali sat down side by side on a log, her body pressed as close to his as possible.

"Making rounds," Buck told him, nodding into the jungle. "They seem to be a good team."

"They are," McGarrett admitted.

"Do you miss it?" Boomer asked.

"Miss what? The SEALs?"

"Yeah, man. Was it hard to walk away?"

Steve thought for a moment. "Initially, yes. I had no intention of leaving. But once I got back to Hawaii and found out my dad had left a lot of clues and unanswered questions for me, I felt I had to stay. Life is different, but equally rewarding. And you saw my team – I couldn't ask for better back up. Or better friends," he added. "And I'm still on standby in the reserves… guess you picked up on that. Why the question – you thinking about retiring?"

Boomer shook his head. "No, not yet. But I wonder if I can make the adjustment back to something else. When you live most of your life on adrenalin alone, it makes you wonder how you can cope in normal circumstances."

"Give it a chance sometime. You might surprise yourself."

McGarrett looked down when Ali pushed her long, dark hair out of her eyes for he knew the hundredth time that day, and had an idea. "Hey, want me to make it stay back?" he asked. He took both hands and grasped her hair back into a ponytail, holding it with one hand and reaching for a plastic tie from his pocket with the other.

The girl shook her head, 'no' and took her hair in both of her hands, making pigtails on either side of her head.

"Oh, like that?" he asked her. "That's the way Gracie wears her hair. Let me get another tie. And I can do this. I've watched Danno do it for Grace." He held the two ties in his mouth as he worked. "Although he didn't use zips for it," he mumbled. Usomg his finger to section off the hair he tied one side with a zip tie, pulling the tie tight before reaching for the other half of hair. When he finished, he asked, "There. Is that better?"

In answer, she flopped the pigtails back and forth, feeling them swing in her face. And this time, he was positive he saw a smile.

"You're a wuss, Dog, you know that? Nothing but a big old softie," Boomer said with a grin.

"You're just jealous," McGarrett shot back. "Hey, Ali, I need to show you something," he told her, standing up. She reached her arms up to be carried and he took her hand instead. "No, we're just going over here. You can walk." He reached down and picked up the partial blanket he still carried and then reached into his backpack before crossing the camp.

Steve kneeled down on Boomer's left side and held on to Aliyana. "Ali, this is my friend, Boomer."

"Hey, Little Bit," Boomer said, reaching up and tugging on a pig tail.

McGarrett continued to talk to her, although he was speaking to Boomer at the same time. "Ali, remember the bad men at the house this morning? If any of them come up here, I'm going to have to fight them."

She immediately looked at him, her eyes wide.

"It's OK. That's my job. But if I do, you've got a job, too. I want you to get in here as close as you can to Boomer and cover yourself up with the blanket. If it gets loud, you need to cover up your ears and hang on to Mr. Flopsy. Can you do that?"

She grabbed hold of his shirt and shook her head in fear. He peeled her hands off and held her fists between them. "Ali, I need you to promise me that you will stay here with Boomer. Look, he's hurt and he can't get up and fight, so you need to stay right here next to him. Promise me you can do that."

"Ali, if Stevie has to fight, I want you next to me so I won't be scared. You and your rabbit—"

"-Mr. Flopsy," McGarrett supplied.

Boomer rolled his eyes. "—your Mr. Flopsy can stay safe right here with me. OK?"

She huffed, but glanced down at Boomer, resigned to her fate.

Steve reached across Boomer's body and placed a spare handgun between the wounded SEAL's hand and his body, nodding to the man.

Boomer understood his task. No one gets the girl.

~~~H50~~~


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Sunday evening, 2230 GYT**_

The guard had changed. This time, Jackson and Buck were on lookout; Jackson keeping watch over Buck as much as he was watching the terrain. But Buck had insisted that he share some of the burden and he was raring to prove to the team that he was capable of handling himself.

McGarrett was itching to be out there himself, but Ali was asleep, her head on his leg. He was afraid she would wake up if he scooted out from under her and he didn't want her to wake and find him not there at all. So, he relied on his team to do the bulk of the work; something that was difficult for him to do.

The guards signaled they were coming into camp and quietly returned. "Got company," Jackson reported. "Three to four clicks back but they are headed this direction. Not too quietly, I might add."

"Count?"

Buck replied, "I would say twelve to fifteen. No more – do you agree?" he looked at Jackson for confirmation.

Jackson nodded. "Twelve would be my guess, too. Should we engage, Sir?"

Each team member turned to Steve for his decision. He glanced at Boomer who gave him a thumbs-up. This was McGarrett's mission, but it was wise to know that everyone was on the same page. He then looked down at Ali, still asleep, and made his decision.

"We engage. Let's stay together and hit 'em fast and hard. Grayson, you're point. Let's meet them on their way. Gear up."

Steve slid his leg out from beneath Ali and picked her up. He stood and carried the sleeping girl to Boomer.

"I know this isn't exactly what you signed on for, but think you two will be all right?" he asked the wounded man.

"Hell, yeah."

"Watch your language."

"She's asleep, Doggie. I've got this covered. You get out of here."

McGarrett made sure Flopsy was in Ali's hand and then covered her up with the blanket, tucking the ends around her.

"What a worry wart," Boomer complained. "Now, git."

"Tell her I'll be back, OK?"

"Do you wanna write her a letter? Get out of here," Boomer ordered him with a jerk of his head. "Go."

Steve checked the knife in its sheath on his back, pulled extra rounds of ammunition and placed them in his pockets, felt the SIG in its holster and reached for the carbine; all movements performed on auto pilot. Old habits do die hard.

The team congregated at the edge of their camp, before quietly blending as one into the jungle foliage, leaving Boomer and a still-sleeping Aliyana alone under the bright moon.

~~~H50~~~

They watched as the enemy troops approached, hoping to keep the element of surprise. But good soldiers know when they are being watched, and this group was no exception. They grew quiet about a click away, tightening their ranks as they continued closer.

Even though the moon was a help, allowing the SEALs to see the terrain and the enemy coming, it was also a hindrance, allowing the other side to pick up their movement in the trees as well.

McGarrett took a hefty rock and threw it to his left, hitting a tree. A volley of shots were fired toward the tree, giving them better locations of the men. The firefight ensued, rapid shots fired from both sides. Steve remained closest to their camp as the others advanced, in case someone decided to break away from the other side and run in Boomer and Ali's direction.

Vega and Grayson went wide and came up on the enemy from the side, reducing the enemy troops by two with quick bursts of well-placed shots.

McGarrett saw movement heading his direction and he moved quietly to intercept the man while slowly removing the knife from its place on his back. It was a dance, and he matched the other man move for move, coming closer with each step.

The gunfire was lessening and he listened, only one weapon returning fire toward his men. Whether they had been eliminated or had retreated, they would know later. McGarrett continued to watch the movements of his aggressor, waiting for the man to reach his position.

The soldier reached the small clearing and turned in Steve's direction, searching the trees for a sign that he had been made. McGarrett stepped out, his SIG leveled on the man. He switched on the laser, the light shining in the man's eyes.

"Looking for me?"

The man's weapon swung in his direction. Steve quickly killed the light and dove sideways, firing his SIG as the man also fired. He went down, as McGarrett rolled and came back to his feet.

Immediately after, he heard another shot, coming straight from the camp. He ran through the brush, the hand holding the knife, hacking the vines in front of him. He reached the clearing at the same time Buck and Jackson entered from the other side.

Boomer had pushed himself up, leaning against the log; one hand still holding the weapon, his other placed protectively on Ali's back. A soldier lay dead, not more than ten feet from where they sat.

Steve crossed over to Boomer's other side and slid to the ground, reaching for the blanket. Ali held on tightly to the blanket, clutching it in her fists, making it hard for Steve to pull it away. "Ali, it's OK, Baby. Told you I'd come back. Everything is all right."

Hearing his voice, she jumped up from Boomer's side and wrapped both arms around Steve's neck, squeezing tightly as he stood up with her, patting her back. "It's OK, I promise. It's over. No one will hurt you."

He looked down at Boomer, nodding his thanks to the other man.

Boomer waved the gun. "Any time. She was great, by the way. Did exactly what you said, hunkered down and didn't move."

"Good girl!" He continued to hold her and turned toward his team. Grayson and Buck had pulled the soldier's body out of sight into the jungle and made a swift check of their immediate area before returning.

"Are Vega and Jackson still out in the field?"

"Affirmative," Grayson replied. "We think we had some runners."

"We'll get them," he assured the SEAL as the last two team members returned to camp.

"We counted ten out there," Grayson reported.

"Boomer got one," McGarrett pointed in the direction of the body, "and I got one on his way here. Twelve total."

"I'm guessing there are at least two more out there," Vega reported. "Maybe three."

McGarrett glanced at the position of the moon, shining brightly and nearly overhead. "OK, we move out. Let's put some distance between us while we can."

They quickly broke camp, removing all evidence that they had ever been there.

_**Sunday evening, 2130 hours (HST); early Monday, 0330 hours (GYT)**_

"Something's wrong," Danny announced, running his hands through his already-mussed hair.

"You don't know that," Chin replied. "He said he would call if he could."

"Yes, but that was, what? Six p.m. - over three hours ago. And he didn't call. I'm going to call him."

"Are you sure about that, Brah?" Kono asked. "I mean, what if he can't talk. It isn't like he's got voice mail."

"Besides," Chin added. "It's the middle of the night where McGarrett is. Maybe he'll call when it is morning there."

"I'd feel better knowing—"

The phone that was bouncing with each shake of his leg, rang.

A deceptively calm and collected Danny answered the phone while he grinned at Chin and Kono.

"Williams."

"Hey."

"What's wrong? You sound out of breath."

"Who said anything's wrong? We're on the move is all."

"At three-honkin'-thirty-in-the-morning? "

"We…had visitors."

"Is that why you're whispering?"

"No, that's because I've got… never mind, that's a—"

"—long story, I'm sure," Danny finished for him.

"Any luck with transport?" Steve asked.

"As a matter of fact, your friend Dave is one very resourceful guy. All you need to do is call when you are ready, and he'll make sure you have transport. All he needs are the coordinates of where to pick you up."

"Well, we are working on that. We're close to the river separating the two countries. We won't cross until after daybreak, which is in a couple of hours. After we cross over into Suriname we can find a place for a chopper to land. I can call and relay the coordinates at that time."

"Dave said to tell you his man could reach you in an hour and a half, two hours tops, depending how far inland you are."

"Sounds good," McGarrett replied. "Hey, what's that noise?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm outside – a plane just went over."

"OK, thanks man. I owe you one."

"One? Steven, all I can say is that the Long Boards are on you when you return, so keep that elusive credit card handy."

"You got it. See you when I get back. And thank Dave for me."

"Behave yourself!"

_**Monday morning, 0500 hours (GYT)**_

"Are you sure this is the same puny, little river we crossed yesterday morning?" Boomer asked, standing on the tall bank, his arm around Jackson's shoulder.

"Affirmative," McGarrett replied, watching the rushing water.

"Well, looks like we're gonna get wet."

"Looks like," Jackson agreed.

"We'll rest here," Steve told them, setting his carbine on the ground and dropping down beside it. The girl in his arms was still asleep, having dropped off immediately after they began their hike. "Sunrise is a little over half hour away. We can look for a better crossing once the sun's up."

Thankfully they had heard no signs of being pursued during the night so they decided to rest and eat breakfast. Steve leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. He thought since Aliyana was still asleep, he would try for a few minutes as well.

Three minutes later, he was interrupted by the vibrations of the telephone in his pocket. And only one person had his number…

Steve sighed and raised up, reaching for the phone. As he did, Ali's head also lifted from his shoulder and she blinked in the early morning light.

"McGarrett."

Danny's voice was on the other end. "You know it's me and you answer your phone with, 'McGarrett'? What's up with that?"

"Sorry I'm not quite as chipper as you," Steve replied. "It's been a busy night."

"I'm just checking in…you know, for Dave. Whenever you're ready for pick up, he'll have a chopper there. The pilot is on standby. "

"Standby is good. Thanks. And, Danny…"

"Yeah?"

"You'll be the first call I make. Now go to bed and quit worrying."

"Right. OK, later."

"Yeah, later," Steve sighed and pressed the 'end' button.

"Trouble in paradise?" Boomer asked him.

"No, he's just antsy."

"Yeah, we saw that up close and personal," Buck told him. "On the boat after we brought you in that night, your team was pretty nervous. After we got you in the chopper, I thought Danny was going to come out of his skin."

"Of course, it didn't help that you looked like death…before the warming over part," Boomer added. "Danny was pretty freaked… especially when you coded. Twice."

"Yeah, trust me, he told me. Numerous times." Steve remembered the 'discussion' which prompted Danny to hang a stupid bell on the door of his office. A bell that for some unknown reason, he just hadn't taken the time to remove. Steve looked at Boomer. "But he never mentioned that I coded."

Buck crossed the clearing to sit next to him. "I have to say, that is one rescue that came right down to the wire. You had already stopped breathing when we got to you. But we still couldn't get you out without blasting the rock."

"And then, it was Boomer and his amazing stash of C4 to the rescue!" the SEAL reminded him.

McGarrett shook his head. "Probably glad I don't remember being blown up," he admitted, looking over at Buck. "But if I neglected to say 'thank you', then thank you."

"You did, and any time," Buck replied. "And I think this just about calls us even."

"Who's counting?" Steve grinned at his friend and reached down and tugged on a pig tail. "Good morning, pretty lady," he said, smiling at Ali, who was leaning back against his chest, watching everyone.

"Bet that line's been used in the past," Boomer muttered.

Steve glanced at him and rolled his eyes, not considering the comment worthy of a rebuttal. He was concerned with the little girl. "Hey, you doing OK?" he asked, putting a finger beneath her chin and turning her face to look at him. He saw the tears in her eyes just as the first one spilled over on her cheek.

"Hey, hey, it's OK," Steve assured her. "It's gonna be all right. You want to go home, don't you?"

She turned around and buried her face in his shirt, her arms wrapped around him, one hand still holding on to Flopsy's ear. He both heard and felt her sobs.

He was once again out of his element, but he did what felt natural. He stood and pulled her up so that her head was on his shoulder. Rubbing her back, he walked away from the others, talking quietly, not even registering his words. Before long, the sobs stopped and she quieted, and then hiccupped.

"Flopsy, did you hear that? Did you hiccup?"

She did it again, and held up the rabbit in his face.

"That _**was**_ you, wasn't it, you silly rabbit? Maybe a drink of water will help." He looked at Ali and asked, "Should we go get him some water?" Using his thumb, he wiped the tears from her face.

She nodded yes and wrapped her arms around his neck, Flopsy and all.

~~~H50~~~


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Monday morning 0630 GYT**_

The purple horizon soon gave way to variegated strips of pink and orange as the sun began its ascent above the tree line.

Steve had finally gotten Ali to eat something other than raisins and crackers and was feeling somewhat better about his parenting duties. After eating, she had taken his hand and pointed toward the woods, tugging him to go with her. She didn't need to ask twice. Their communication skills were growing by leaps and bounds.

Upon their return, Grayson was waiting for them, putting on his backpack. "Vega and I can scout upstream for a better place to cross," he said.

McGarrett nodded and sat down on a log. "Good. If you find something, we'll come to you. Keep us posted."

Ali sat next to Steve, playing with Flopsy on the log. He watched as Buck and Jackson removed Boomer's bandages, checking and cleaning the wound in his side.

"How's he doing, men?"

"Still some fever," Jackson replied, "but the wound itself looks better after we packed it and started antibiotics. Still need to get the bullet out."

"And the leg?" Steve asked. "We're going to have to cross that river. Will that be a problem?"

"Ya know," Boomer drawled. "I'm sitting right here. One, I'm not deaf, two, I think I can answer for myself; and three, I do feel better, thank you for asking. The leg is sore, but OK and I can cross the river under my own steam. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, where'd you get such a winning personality?" Steve shot back.

"I'm SEAL, born and bred. That's not something a pansy who lives on the beach with palm trees swaying in his yard would know anything about. Hey guys, Doggie even has a 'girl' working on his team."

"You know, Boomer, I've seen 'that girl' as you call her take out men bigger than you. In fact, first time I met her she decked a guy for stealing her wave. But any time you feel the need to test her, just let me know and I'll take any and all bets. She'll whip your sorry a…butt and wipe the floor with it."

"Do you promise? 'Cause I'd love to meet her again."

"You don't know what you're messing with, Boomer. I'll promise you that much. Now, mind if I get back to my assessment?"

Boomer made a 'carry on' hand gesture, which wasn't the gesture Steve knew the SEAL was thinking, but he nodded in reply, turning toward the other injured SEAL. "Buck, can I ask how you're doing without getting my head bit off?"

Buck grinned, putting away the medical supplies. "I'm good. Still have a headache and occasional dizziness, but the puking has pretty much gone away. I can hold my own if we need to fight."

"Good to know," McGarrett replied, glancing down when Ali jumped. She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked.

"What's wrong, Kiddo?"

She stuck out her lower lip and showed him her finger.

"You've got a splinter from playing on the log," he told her. "Bet that hurts, doesn't it?"

She nodded, her brown eyes wide and watery, but she refused to cry again.

"You're being very brave," Steve told her. "Let me show you a magic trick, OK?" She watched him unzip his backpack and remove a small tube from a pocket on the side.

"Watch this." He squirted a dab of glue on her finger and blew it until it dried. "Now," Steve said, "do you see it?"

She nodded and he peeled the glue off, the splinter coming with it. "Look! No more splinter. And it didn't even hurt, did it?"

She grinned, shaking her head side to side.

"But I bet we need a Band Aid, don't we? Hey, guys, got any Band Aid's in there?"

Jackson pulled one from his pack and handed it over for Steve to administer.

Once the finger was wrapped, she held it up in front of Steve's face.

"Yeah, I see it. Is it all better now?"

She shook her head and held it two inches from his face, a glare in her eyes.

"What?"

"McGarrett, even I know what that means," Buck laughed.

"OK, I give. What?"

"You're supposed to kiss it and make it better."

"Oh. OH!" He looked back down at Ali. "You want a kiss?"

The finger remained in position and she nodded emphatically.

"Well, why didn't you _**say**_ so," he told her with a grin, leaning forward to kiss the bandaged finger. "Now. Is that better?"

She grinned and nodded, reaching down for Flopsy once again.

~~~H50~~~

Vega came back into camp, cutting away some of the green foliage as he did so. "Problem, Sir," he reported, stopping in front of McGarrett, catching his breath before continuing.

Steve quickly stood. "Report."

"Good news, we found a place to cross the river. We set a line in place to aid in crossing. Grayson is still there, on the Suriname side."

McGarrett nodded. "And the bad news?"

"We heard a chopper come in from the south. It didn't come into our view, so I don't think we were made. It landed; not sure how close to the location, but we need to move or the spot to cross the river may be cut off."

"Affirmative," Steve agreed. "Men, let's move out." McGarrett watched as his men grabbed their gear, quickly clearing the site. He reached for his backpack and threw it on before picking up the sling he used to carry the girl. "Come on, Ali. Hop up here. We're moving again."

They heard the first shots before they reached the crossover on the river and knew Grayson was under fire. "Let's move," McGarrett ordered. "Jackson, take point. Vega, you're with Jackson. Buck, can you and Boomer manage on your own?"

"Absolutely," Buck replied, a firm grasp on Boomer's arm that he had around his neck. He carried a MK23 handgun in the other hand. Boomer held Steve's extra MK23 in his free hand, ready for action, if and when he needed to fight.

Steve stopped for a moment and pulled out the SAT phone. Before calling, he spoke to Ali, placing his hand on her head. "Listen to me. This is important." She looked up to him and he continued. "We're going to have to run, so I want you to tuck your head in my chest and hold on tight. I've got you and I won't let go, but I want you to hang on. Just don't be scared, OK? It's going to be fine."

Fearful, brown eyes met his and she nodded before curling inward and digging her fingers into his shirt.

"Good girl." _Blind trust. _Steve wasn't sure anyone had ever trusted him as much as she did and he was awed by it. And petrified.

He secured the carbine on his right shoulder and began jogging, pressing the #1 key on the phone at the same time. The phone was answered before a half-ring.

"Yeah, Steve?"

"Change of plans, Danny. We're under fire. Use the phone coordinates, but the chopper needs to touch down on the east side of the river. I repeat, east. And tell the pilot to get here as quickly as he can. If possible, he can come inland following the Courantyne River and then find a landing spot in Suriname. We've got a line set up to cross the river but we're going to have to deal with some company first."

"Got it. Chopper will be there soon."

McGarrett placed the phone in his pocket and removed the carbine from his shoulder and slid into cover next to Vega positioning himself and Ali behind the largest tree he could see. "Any idea what we're looking at?"

"None. They've got fire power, though."

"So do we," Steve assured him. "My backpack. Grenades are in the bottom zipper. Let's shake 'em up a bit."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Ali, girl, cover your ears," Steve told her. "It's going to get louder." He curled around her as best he could to help shield her from the noise, but felt her jump at the explosion.

One grenade later, and the playing field sounded a bit more even although the return fire was still coming. With the team's cover fire, Grayson was able to cross the water to rejoin his unit.

McGarrett glanced at him and saw blood on his uniform. "Grayson, where were you hit?" he asked, firing his weapon at the same time.

"I'm fine. Bullet just grazed my shoulder. Who was hiding the grenades?"

Vega reached into McGarrett's backpack once again. "The boss has got an entire arsenal in here. Ready for another one, Sir?"

"Toss it, Vega," he replied, firing once again before setting down his weapon. He curled his body around Ali once again. "It's all right, you're doing great," he told her above the noise. "It will be over soon."

Another blast and they heard a couple cries of pain, and then silence for a few moments before the enemy fire picked up with greater force.

"OK, so they didn't like that one," Vega remarked.

"Listen!" Jackson said. "Another chopper's coming in."

"Crap." McGarrett replied, knowing it had to be reinforcements for the other side since their own chopper wouldn't arrive for at least an hour, maybe two.

"That one's a Blackhawk," Grayson commented. "Too bad it ain't ours."

The chopper flew down the river, the wind from the rotors causing them to duck. Upon its approach, the weapons on board began spitting… toward the enemy. McGarrett looked up and saw the very welcome U.S.A. insignia on the belly of the Blackhawk.

"How the hell…?" Steve was confused as how the pilot managed to get here as quickly as he did, but didn't have time to ask questions. The chopper made a turn and sprayed bullets once again although the enemy either scattered or were incapacitated, because there was no return fire. Then it kept to the river, making its way north before banking to the Suriname side of the water.

"Everyone report."

He received five affirmatives that everyone was all right and then reached down to check Aliyana. "How about you, Kiddo, are you OK?" She still had his shirt in her fists, her hair damp from sweat and trails of tears on her face. "It's gonna be all right. It's almost over. I promise."

The SAT phone rang and he reached into his pocket.

"Steven. You want an engraved invitation? Get your butts across the river. I have it on good authority that your carriage awaits. The pilot landed maybe 500 yards from your position, straight through the jungle."

"Where the hell did the pilot start from? And how'd he get his hands on a Blackhawk?" McGarrett asked. "Because he made it here in half an hour. Never mind, I'm not complaining."

"Don't worry. He'll explain once you get there. Is everyone all right?"

"We're good. And we're ready to move. Call you later."

"You'd better."

"And Danny…thanks."

"Like I said, Partner, we've got your back."

Steve hung up and reached for the carbine once again. "OK, men, let's get across that water." They walked down the bank and saw Grayson and Vega's line secured around a rock on their side and tied off to a tree on the opposite side. The water itself was rushing over large rocks although the river itself didn't look too deep.

"The rocks seem stable to walk on," Grayson reported. "But there are a couple of drop offs. With your permission I'll go first and try to show the way."

Steve nodded. "Boomer, follow Grayson. Jackson, go with him."

"Come on, Dog, I don't need a babysitter," Boomer argued.

"Maybe not, but humor me," McGarrett retorted. "In order to pay you back for blasting me out of a cave, I need to get your sorry butt back home. Get him to the chopper, men. We'll be right behind you."

Grayson reached for Boomer's arm and motioned to Jackson. "Come on, let's get this pansy to the other side."

"Pansy! Now wait just a minute."

"Hey, that's what the Boss called you, so it must be true."

"Doggie, I'll get you for this," he warned as he was practically manhandled into the water.

Steve grinned back. "OK, Buck your turn."

"Not so fast," Buck replied. "You and Ali need to get over next. She's your top priority."

"We'll go with Vega," McGarrett argued. "Go on."

"Begging to differ with you, Sir," Vega began. "You've got the girl. I'll bring up our six by cutting the rope here and using it to pull myself over to the other side. Piece of cake."

"Steve," Buck said. "Quit arguing and get wet."

McGarrett nodded his agreement and told Ali once again to hang on. Buck reached out and took the carbine from Steve's shoulder and followed when Steve entered the water.

"You have her?"

"Yep. Ali, it's going to be cold when it hits your feet. You ready?"

She nodded and giggled when the water reached Steve's waist and her legs got wet. But he noticed she gripped his shirt more tightly as the water rose.

"Relax, you're not going to fall. Told you it was cold, didn't I?" He grinned down at her and added, "we're almost there."

They reached the other side and turned to watch Vega. The young SEAL cut the rope away from its mooring and jumped onto a large rock in the river. The current pulled him downstream, but he kept hold of the rope, working hand over hand toward their side. Once he reached the bank, Buck helped pull him out. They cut the rope from the tree and wound it up.

"Good work, men," Steve told them. "Let's go."

They turned to head into the jungle when movement upstream caused them to turn to their right. A single shot was fired and Vega cried out, his body twisting beneath him as he went down. McGarrett reached for his weapon, before realizing Buck still carried it. He hit the dirt, shielding Ali with his body while Buck swung up the carbine and fired. They heard a grunt and then a body fell into the dense foliage. They waited, hearing nothing more.

"Vega, how bad?"

"Hit in the thigh," he bit out when Buck crawled over to check him. "Help me up and I can walk."

"How far's the chopper?" Buck asked.

"About 500 yards," McGarrett replied.

"It's a through and through, which is good," the medic told them. "And didn't hit an artery. Let's get to the chopper and get the bleeding stopped. Come on, up on three."

They began their slow trek toward the chopper, but were aided by Jackson and Grayson coming back to help them along. "Come on, Gimpy," they told their fellow team member, each taking one of his arms around their necks as they walked with him.

McGarrett and Buck slowed to allow them to maneuver toward the chopper and were surprised when, once again, a shot rang out, hitting a tree and spitting wood chips in their faces. They hit the deck once again, Buck bringing the carbine up, searching for the enemy.

"How many more are there?" Steve muttered, reaching for his sidearm, warning Ali to duck down once again.

"McGarrett." The voice called from the dense foliage, the person still unseen.

"What do you want?"

"The girl. Now. My weapon is trained on her and I will take her, either dead or alive. Your choice."

"Ochoa?" Steve asked.

"You remembered me. I'm flattered."

"Oh, I wouldn't be," Steve told him, shooting and then rolling so that Ali was out of the line of fire.

Buck backed Steve up with the carbine and they also heard rapid fire coming from the chopper. Ochoa let out a cry of pain and finally there were no return volleys from his position.

"You OK?" Buck asked.

"Yeah. You? Ali, sorry about that," he told her, checking her over. "Did I hurt you?"

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck, shaking her head. He could feel the shudders coursing through her body from fright.

"Let's get out of here," he told her. "We're going to go home."

He stood and turned toward the sound of the chopper, not believing what he saw in the Suriname jungle.

Danny was dressed in combat fatigues, boots and black tee shirt, standing with his feet apart, both hands firmly gripping the carbine pressed against his chest, a wide grin on his face.

~~~H50~~~


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thank you to everyone for your resoundingly-positive reviews. I think I have replied to everyone, with the exception of those of you who can't accept private messages. So, I say 'thanks' to you here! **_

**_And I hesitate to post this chapter today, when this weekend we lost so many brave SEALS who are working quietly, and usually behind the scenes, keeping our world a safer place. I feel highly inept to portray their dedication and bravery in the line of duty. So, this story is dedicated to them - the SEALS and their families who today are grieving the loss of their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers of SEAL Team Six. It is also dedicated to the other Team members who are grieving the loss of men they worked with so closely._**

**_So, for what it is worth, thank you from a grateful nation. ~ljw~ _**

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Monday morning**_

_**Danny was dressed in combat fatigues, boots and black tee shirt, standing with his feet apart, both hands firmly gripping the carbine pressed against his chest, a wide grin on his face.**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

"How'd-? When?" Steve gave up on speech and simply stared at his friend with what Williams fondly referred to as "aneurysm face".

"Cat got your tongue, Steven? I must say," Danny paused for effect, then swept one hand around him, showing the dense, green foliage of the jungle around them, "you could have picked a more picturesque… and less noisy place for a vacation."

Steve met him halfway and slapped Danny on the arm. "I don't believe it. **_What _**are you doing here? Let's get on board... you've got a lot of explaining to do."

A familiar voice called from further in the jungle. "Hey guys, this one's still alive."

"Chin?"

Danny nodded and his devilish grin managed to get wider. "And Kono."

They heard cursing and saw Chin pushing Ochoa through the brush toward them.

"You can't do this," Ochoa argued. "I am the president."

"Well, excuse me, but I believe there was an election last week that said otherwise. Now move," Chin ordered. "You're coming with us. And you're not hurt that badly, so step it up."

"No. I refuse."

"What'd you say?" Danny asked in amazement, turning to stand in front of the man. "Really? You refuse. You think we're going to let you go because you don't want to go with us? Yeah, well, you're nuts." He grabbed the man's arm and helped Chin push and prod the man toward the chopper, muttering, "Refuse all you want to and let me know how that works for you."

"No! I want that girl," he screamed. "I need her."

At that, Ali, dug herself further into Steve's chest, gripping her fists into his shirt.

"Hey, hey, you're OK," Steve assured her. "Remember, I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you? He won't ever hurt you. I promise."

"Hey, Boss," Chin called over his shoulder, grinning at McGarrett. "Looks like you have some explaining to do, too," he said, nodding toward Ali.

"Let's get this bird in the air first," McGarrett told him as they entered the clearing next to the Blackhawk. "Anyone got zip ties?" he asked. "Tie that nut job up, nice and tight."

"Morning, Boss," Kono yelled to be heard over the rotors, leaning out of the chopper after all the others had boarded. "Looks like you've got a new friend."

"I do. This is Aliyana." He took off the sling and prepared to place her in the chopper, but she clung to his neck, holding tight, watching as Ochoa was pushed into a seat in the rear of the Blackhawk. "It's OK. This is my friend, Kono. Remember, I told you about her. Let me sit you down and I'll hop up right next to you."

She let go of his neck and he sat her in the opening and climbed in, reaching for her when he moved into a seat.

He glanced into the cockpit and found his pilot friend, Dave grinning at him. "All present and accounted for?" the pilot asked.

"Yeah," McGarrett replied, shaking his head and grinning. "And it looks like everyone has some details to share."

"Hey," Dave shrugged. "You needed help. Why should I recruit someone else to do something I can do myself?" the pilot asked. "Besides, business was slow – too many storms for sightseers this week. Great week to take a vacation away from paradise. You guys ready to get out of here?"

"Oh, yeah," Steve assured him as the Blackhawk smoothly took off, banked and headed north. He turned back around and settled in his seat, focusing on his team. "So... explain yourselves," he told them, grinning.

"The governor had already given us vacation, because we finished the Aukai case," Chin. "We had no excuse not to come."

"Really?" Steve couldn't stop grinning at his team. "No excuse at all?"

"That's our story and we're sticking to it," Danny replied, an answering smile of his own.

"Well, in that case, all we can say is 'thanks'," Grayson added from his seat next to McGarrett's. "I take it this is your team?" he asked the commander.

Steve nodded. "Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua," he said, pointing to each of them. "Guys, this is Lieutenant Grayson. You know Buck and Boomer, and Jackson and Vega are over with them."

"Hey, Kono, how ya doin'?" Boomer shouted. "If you're free, I could use a little TLC."

"Be there in a minute, Boomer," she replied with a grin.

"Hot damn," the SEAL exclaimed. "Doggie, I think she likes me."

Grayson looked at McGarrett, and added. "I think someone just got another shot of morphine."

Ali looked at all the newcomers and finally reached up and put her hand on Steve's face to get his attention.

He looked down, giving her a hug. "And this is Aliyana, the most important person on our team. What do you need, Baby?" he asked, expecting her to point at something, but was surprised when she actually spoke.

She glanced around again and then stared at him. "Where's your friend Grace?"

He looked at her in shock before a wide grin spread across his face. "I've been talking to you for two whole days and you won't talk back, and the first thing you ask is 'where's Grace'? You're something else, you know that?" He hugged her to him, planting a kiss on the top of her head, his team amazed at the ease in which he was dealing with her. "Grace is still in Hawaii with her mom."

"Can I see her?" she asked.

Danny joined in the conversation. "Well, someday soon, maybe you can visit Hawaii and she can meet you. You would have fun together."

She thought about it and then nodded, glancing up at Steve. "Mr. Flopsy, too?"

"Of course, Mr. Flopsy, too," he assured her, looking at the pink rabbit that had dirt and leaves stuck to him. He looked at the dirt on the girl's face and wiped a smudge away with his thumb. "You know, I think you _**and**_ Mr. Flopsy both need a good bath."

"Haven't looked in a mirror lately, have you?" Danny asked.

Steve reached up and wiped a hand across his face, surprised when his fingers came away smeared in blood. "No. We've been a bit busy. But when the time comes, I won't turn down a hot shower."

Ali turned on her knees and touched Steve's face again.

"What'cha need?" He focused again on the little girl.

"You've got owies. One here and one here," she told him, touching his cheek and his chin.

He swiped the cuts once more and wiped his hand on his pants. "I'm OK," he assured her.

"I'll make them better," she promised, holding his face between her hands and kissing his cheek. "See. All better."

"Thank you. That is better."

She grinned and started asking questions, making up for lost time. "Why does Boomer call you 'Doggie'? Your name's Steve."

"Ali, I want to know that, too," Danny told her. "But Steve says it is a secret." He moved closer to her and whispered, "so, if he tells you, will you tell me?"

Steve laughed. "Nice try. Ali, Doggie is a nickname and I won't tell anyone how I got that name. Like Danny said, it _**is**_ a secret."

She put both arms around his neck. "OK. I think I'll call you Uncle Steve instead."

He touched his forehead to hers. "I think that's a good idea," he agreed.

"Aww…" Kono grinned at him. "Boss, that's so sweet."

He looked at the goofy grins on his team members' faces and rolled his eyes at them. "It's been an interesting weekend," he admitted, a grin on his own face. He turned Ali back around so she could sit back on his lap.

They heard a commotion in the back of the chopper, and Ochoa yelled out. "I must speak with the commander. He must listen to me."

"What's he whining about?" McGarrett asked.

"You don't understand what you have done," Ochoa yelled at him. "I need the girl."

Steve glared at him. "Yeah, we heard you the last time. I don't get it. You kidnap her, drug her, send horrible photos to her parents, keep her locked up with a psycho nanny, and now you want her back? That makes no sense."

"My plan was to 'save' her and return her to her parents, ensuring that my people would once again see me as their benevolent leader."

The entire team laughed. "Well, then, how's that working out for you?" Grayson asked the demented man.

"Jackson?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"If he talks again, feel free to gag him."

"Gladly, Sir," the SEAL replied with a grin.

"How's Vega?"

"I'm fine, Sir."

Jackson agreed, "He'll be fine. We've got the bleeding stopped."

"Great job, Men."

McGarrett focused again on his 5-0 team, adding, "Great job from everyone."

"Anytime, Boss," Chin replied, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

Kono added, "Boss Man, we said we had your back."

"I know. And thank you."

"I have a question."

Steve turned to Danny. "Just one?"

"Well, I'm sure I'll think of more, but what was Plan B if Dave couldn't get a chopper?"

Steve chuckled. "This was Plan B, Danny. And thankfully we didn't have to go with Plan C."

"What's Plan C?"

McGarrett turned to Grayson and shook his head. Grayson grinned and replied, "We're lucky we didn't have to resort to Plan C. It would have been messy."

"So you had a Plan C?"

"No, Danny," McGarrett shook his head. "There was no Plan C. I knew I could count on you guys. I just didn't realize how far you would go for a 'vacation'." He returned to SEAL mode and asked, "Any word on the situation at the embassy?"

Chin pointed toward the pilot. "Dave was monitoring that when we landed in Suriname. You might want to check with him."

Steve reached for a headset hanging over his head and put it on so that he could speak to the pilot. After initiating contact, Dave replied, "A team moved in after we lifted off this morning. The embassy is secure; some minor injuries, but no more casualties."

"Is Admiral Farris still there?"

"Yes, as far as I know."

"OK, we need a plan. What's our ETA?" McGarrett asked.

"Approximately 45 minutes to Trinidad. We can land on the grounds of the embassy if you wish."

"Let me get back with you."

Dave gave him a thumbs up and Steve took off the headset.

"So, what's the problem?" Danny asked.

"I don't know who to trust in the embassy," McGarrett told them. He motioned for Grayson, Danny, Chin and Kono to move closer so they could speak in private. "I know there is at least one unfriendly in there. He's from our own embassy in Guyana. Name is Chavez. He was on the phone with the soldiers who planned to down our chopper when we first arrived for the rescue. I just don't know how many others he has working with him. He's with Ochoa," he added, with a nod toward the man in the back of the chopper, "but I don't know how closely or the last time they've been in contact."

He continued assessing their situation, planning as he went. "We have wounded that need to get to the hospital and we also need to get inside that embassy. We don't know what conversations Ochoa has had with Chavez. For all I know, he could be expecting us."

"But he isn't expecting _**us**_," Danny replied, pointing to Chin, Kono and himself. "So we do have some element of surprise."

"And it _**is**_ the American Embassy," Chin added. "We should be able to walk right in."

Steve nodded. "True." He then shook his head and grinned, "Of course, after they find out I've compromised a SEAL mission by incorporating civilians, I may walk out of there in irons."

"Hey, Boss, we've got your back," Grayson told him. "You did what needed to be done. Like you said, everything isn't by the book."

"Might know he'd fill your head with that," Danny muttered. "Grayson, don't listen to everything he tells you."

"It's worked so far," the young SEAL replied with a grin.

"Told you so!" McGarrett replied, flashing a smug look at Williams. "But we have another issue to deal with."

"What's that?" Kono asked.

"We need to get Ali home."

The girl immediately sat up. "Really?" She looked at him, her dark eyes huge.

"Really," he told her. "We're heading right now to meet your momma and daddy."

She looked up at him and tried to smile even when her eyes filled with tears. "I want momma," she whispered, turning so she could lay her head on his shoulder. Both arms went around his neck and she snuggled against him while he patted her back.

"I know you do. And you'll see her soon," he soothed her. "Now," Steve continued, changing tactics and looking at his team, while his hand continued to rub her back.

"Wow. Talk about multi-tasking," Danny said with a grin. "I'd never believe it if I hadn't seen it. A SuperSEAL Nanny. You've got this whole nanny thing down to a science."

"Can we focus?" McGarrett retorted. "If Chavez is still inside, I don't want him to know he's been made and start another coup. When we were there, he remained close to the admiral, even to the point of giving us orders on where to land the chopper. I didn't trust the guy then. And when I last spoke with Farris on the phone, he tried to warn me that something wasn't quite right."

"How about the president and his wife?" Danny asked.

"They were in an apartment behind the embassy. If we can get to them, we can ensure their safety while Chavez is taken down."

Chin nodded. "How about landing near the hospital, get the wounded out, keep Ochoa on ice, and the three of us can go to the embassy, look around and see how to get you in to see Sanchez."

McGarrett nodded and picked up the headphones. "That can work." He called to Dave once again. "Can you get us to the hospital? We'll plan our strategy from there."

"Roger that. And we're getting close."

"Roger. Out."

Steve turned to Grayson. "Vega is out of commission and will head to the hospital along with Boomer and Buck. I'll need you and Jackson to keep Ochoa secure. I know he is wounded, but let's keep him in the chopper until this is over. Are you sure your shoulder is good," he asked, nodding toward the blood on his uniform.

"Positive," Grayson replied. "It's really just a scratch. Don't worry about _'the president'_." The words were punctuated with his fingers making 'bunny ears' in the air. "We'll keep him cooling his heels here until you decide what to do with him."

The chopper began its descent and Steve glanced down at Aliyana, forgetting her presence while he was plotting. He was surprised when he realized she was asleep on his shoulder, her face snuggled in the crook of his neck. He reached up and rubbed his hand across her back.

Steve heard a sound and glanced up at his team… each member had a cell phone and had taken a picture of Ali and him.

Danny grinned. "If that isn't a Kodak moment, I don't know what is."

~~~H50~~~


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Monday morning, 0832 hours (GYT)**_

Kono walked into the lobby of the Trinidad Hilton dressed in shorts and a tee shirt dropping the overnight bag she carried onto the floor when she stopped at the registration desk.

"May I help you?" the clerk asked.

"I sincerely hope so," she said with a sigh. "Because I'm desperate," she told him, offering a tired smile as she ran her hand through her hair, pushing it behind her ear. "It's been a nightmare. My daughter and I flew all night to meet my husband who is on R&R with the Navy, my daughter got sick on the plane and then we were delayed at the airport, and now my husband isn't feeling too well either." She pointed toward the front door to the the man dressed in dirty cargo pants holding a little girl. "I tried to check into our room down the street and they said that check-in isn't until noon. _**Please**_ tell me you have a room to spare that we could check into right now." She sighed again. "I just don't think any of us can make it until noon."

"Of course we can help you," the man assured her. "You should have chosen the Hilton in the first place," he told her with a wink and a grin.

"Bless you," she said, pulling out her credit card and handing it to him. "And our next trip will definitely be Hilton all the way."

He glanced at the card and ran it through the machine. "Ah, Mrs. McGarrett since you aren't listed on the card, I'll need your husband's signature on the receipt."

"Of course," she murmured, turning around. "Honey, you need to sign this."

The man walked to the desk, holding his 'daughter' in both arms, her face tucked against his chest. He was glad he had taken the time to pull the zip ties out of her hair, letting it fall on and disguise the side of her face. The last thing they needed was for a hotel clerk to ID Aliyana from her photos on the news. He grabbed the pen and hastily signed his name. "Thanks, man." Steve nodded at the clerk and added, "we really appreciate your help. Our vacation hasn't gotten off to a very good start."

The clerk looked at the scratches on his face. "Sir, if you or your daughter needs medical attention, we have a doctor on call who can be here in a matter of minutes."

McGarrett shook his head and smiled. "I'm OK… just kind of tired, and we think she has a stomach bug. But I appreciate your help. We'll be fine after some rest."

"Of course. Everyone here at the Hilton will do whatever we can to ensure your vacation is a good one. Here are your key cards. The room number is listed on the envelope. Take the elevator down the corridor to your right and go to the third floor. If there is anything we can do, please let us know."

"Thank you so much," Kono told him before taking Steve's arm. "Honey, let's get her to the room and then we can get our bags."

"Sounds good," he replied. As they walked down the hall, he whispered under his breath, "Phase 1 was a piece of cake."

"Yeah," she laughed. "Never knew my vacation would be so exciting. First, I participate in a firefight while hanging out of a chopper, then a rescue, and two hours later I end up married and with a four year old. And that's just the first day."

"All in a day's work. But speaking of cake, when we get to the room, can you order breakfast?" He jiggled Ali in his arms until she giggled. "I can hear someone's tummy rumbling. Good job, Ali. You did great pretending to be asleep." Once they were on the elevator, he set her down so she could walk.

"Why did you tell him we were both sick?" he asked Kono.

She turned him around so that he could see his reflection in the metal surface of the elevator cab. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, _**Honey**_? Trust me, you two can use some help. And since you didn't have any other clothes, I needed to cover why you were in fatigues, so I told him you were on R&R."

"Good call." He stared at their reflections in the mirrored wall, then looked down at Ali and grinned. "I guess the two of us do look pretty rag tag, don't we?"

The little girl made no comment, but grinned back and reached up to hold his hand.

"That would be considered an understatement," Kono agreed with him, exiting the elevator and looking for their room. Finding the correct number, they went inside and locked the door behind them. "On to Phase 2. Let's call Chin and Danny."

~~~H50~~~

To any casual observer in Trinidad/Tobago, the man walking around the U.S. Embassy was a tourist, complete with a loud Hawaiian print shirt and a camera slung around his neck. He sauntered along, taking photos of the street, the trees, garden behind the embassy, anything he saw, in order to blend in.

The garden was filled with tropical flowers and trees, the individual beds separated by walking paths. A low stone fence wrapped around three sides of the garden, the front of it butting up against the large building behind the embassy. On one of the paths, a man and woman walked, holding hands, their heads bowed. The man urged the pregnant lady to sit on a black, wrought-iron bench as he sat down beside her.

Movement near the door caught Chin's attention and he continued down the block, snapping photos as he went. He could see only one guard watching the couple. Whether he was a friend or enemy, Chin had no clue. So, taking a page from McGarrett's playbook, he would act first and sort out the details later.

He decided on a plan, and quickly put it into action.

Chin reached down to the sidewalk and rose back up, glancing around and 'noticing' the couple. He opened the gate and walked into the garden. "Hey, excuse me, but this phone was lying on your sidewalk. Is it—"

The guard was immediately in front of him, one hand on his holstered weapon, cutting him off from the man and woman. "You must leave. Immediately. You are trespassing on U.S. soil."

Chin took one step back and gave the guard a withering stare, replying with a bite in his tone, "And I happen to be a U.S. citizen, so I don't see that there is a problem. I was only trying to return a cell phone."

"Well, it doesn't belong here," the guard replied, his hand still around the gun butt.

The man stood and stepped around the guard. "Raoul, it is nothing. I am sorry, sir, for my…associate. We have had some problems at the embassy the past day or so. Please forgive us."

"So, you're sure it isn't your phone?" Chin asked, holding it out.

"No, it is not."

Chin glanced toward the building and saw no other guards around. "Then, my apologies for disturbing you." He bowed his head, before quickly turning around, landing a well-placed elbow into the guard's solar plexus. Chin drew his weapon and hit Raoul in the head before the man even landed on the stone walk.

"President Sanchez, I'm with Steve McGarrett," Chin hastily told the couple. "Please don't be alarmed. Do you know how many guards you have?"

Sanchez had moved back to his wife's side, shielding her for what may come next, but turned toward Chin and breathed a sigh of relief.

"There was always one outside our suite and Raoul on the inside. They are corrupt?"

Chin kept his gun trained on Raoul and removed the man's weapon from its holster. "We don't know for sure, but right now, we're not taking any chances." He walked toward the bench Mrs. Sanchez remained seated on and took his phone from his pocket, scrolling through it. "Mr. Sanchez, we don't have much time, so please sit down. We need to talk. But I bring good news. This photo was taken a couple hours ago. Your daughter is alive." He handed the phone to Sanchez as proof, showing the picture of Ali lying on Steve's shoulder.

Mrs. Sanchez cried out and reached for the phone. "My baby. Are you sure?"

The president hugged his wife. "You're positive? You've spoken with McGarrett?"

Chin nodded. "Yes, I'm positive. I was with them on the flight back," he assured them.

"Oh, thank God," Sanchez said, grasping Chin's hand. "I knew McGarrett could find her. I just thought he was too late."

"I need you to trust me," Chin told him. "I can take you to Ali and Steve, but we need to hurry before anyone comes looking for you." He kept a watchful eye on Raoul who appeared to still be out.

"Of course," the Sanchez's agreed, standing. "How far? My wife may need assistance."

Chin nodded, not wanting to reveal the location in case Raoul was indeed listening in. "This way," he whispered, taking Mrs. Sanchez's other arm and guiding them out the gate. They walked to the far end of the block and once away from listening ears, Chin told them they were headed just across the street to the Hilton.

Mrs. Sanchez finally managed to speak past her tears. "Please tell me. Is Ali unharmed?"

"She looked good to me. A little dirty, but from what McGarrett said, your little girl is a real trooper. Apparently, they really bonded this weekend. And McGarrett looked pretty natural with a baby in his arms," he told them, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

~~~H50~~~

There was a knock at the door and Danny pressed against the door frame, his weapon drawn. "Who is it?"

"Chin. Open up."

Williams eased open the door, allowing Chin to escort President and Mrs. Sanchez into the room. She immediately began looking around.

"Where—"

Danny smiled at her and pointed toward the bedroom of the small suite. "They're trying to clean her up."

The Sanchez's headed for the open door, listening to laughter coming from the bathroom. "Hold still, you little monkey," Kono said, laughing while Steve attempted to pull a new sundress over the girl's head. Her head popped out just as she saw her parents in the open doorway.

"Momma! Daddy!" She ran to them, her arms outstretched. The trio melded in the middle of the bedroom floor with hugs, kisses, crying and laughter. Steve and Kono discreetly left the room, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Wow, Boss," Kono whispered, her face beaming. "Sometimes the job is really worth it."

"This one is ending well," McGarrett agreed, running his hand through his damp hair. He had jumped in the shower after Kono had returned from the store with the dress for Ali and a clean tee shirt for him.

He pulled out a chair in front of the desk and straddled it. "Now let's finish it and take the rest of Ochoa's dissidents out of commission. Chin, what did it look like at the embassy?"

Chin sat down on the couch, his elbows on his knees. "I didn't even go inside. The Sanchez's were walking in the garden behind the complex. There was only one guard with them who was ready to fight, so I knocked him out. We left immediately after that, so I don't know how many others there are. This guy's name was Raoul and I don't know whose side he is on, but I didn't take any chances."

"Don't blame you," McGarrett agreed.

"Hey," Kono interrupted, turning the laptop around for Chin to view a photo. "Is this your Raoul?"

"One and the same. Who is he?"

"Ochoa's nephew, so I'm guessing that says where his allegiance lies."

"OK," Steve thought. "Since the Sanchez's are out of the apartments, I would assume the guards would, once again, be in the embassy itself. If you can get through the back and into the embassy, I can go through the front. I might be a surprise, but at least I can get an audience with the admiral. He has converted a conference room on the third floor into his War Room. Once I'm inside, you can move into position near the conference room and wait for action."

"That should work," Danny agreed.

"Ear mics would come in handy, but we'll just have to wing it," McGarrett told them.

Danny reached for his bag. ""I think I have just what we need," he told Steve, pulling the case with the ear buds out of his duffel. "Never let it be said that Danny Williams does not come prepared."

"Good job, Williams!" Steve grinned and stood, pushing the chair back under the desk, then pointing to the closed bedroom doorway. "I need to see if Sanchez can give us any pointers on the situation before we leave," he told his team. Before he made it across the room, the door opened.

"Steve!" Sanchez said, holding out his hand. "No words can ever express my thankfulness."

McGarrett shook the man's hand, but was immediately pulled into a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you."

The very uncomfortable SEAL returned the hug before pulling away. With a shake of his head, he replied, "That was my job. I'm thankful it turned out this way. Going in, I have to admit, I didn't have a very good feeling."

Sanchez nodded. "It has been a week I do not wish to repeat. But thankfully my daughter is safe and unharmed. All thanks to you and your team."

Steve told him quietly, "You might want to have the doctor check her out. Her nanny was in on this. I watched the woman slap Ali in the face, and I would bet that wasn't the first time it had happened. There was also evidence that they used chloroform on her to keep her sedated. And I overheard her tell Ali that you and your wife were getting a new baby and didn't love her anymore."

McGarrett read the pain in the other man's eyes and hastened to add, "You have a wonderful little girl, Alejandro. I know she was terrified but not once did she have a meltdown out there in the jungle. She did exactly what I asked, when I asked it, although she refused to talk the entire time." He grinned at the other man. "But I think you're in trouble."

"How so?"

"In the very near future, I predict you will have boys standing in line to take her out."

"She is a good girl," Sanchez agreed, his pride evident in his voice. "I will beat off the boys with a stick. But right now, _**you**_ are all she can talk about." He sobered, and added, "I will have a doctor check her out. I know this was traumatic for her…for all of us." They both turned toward the bedroom when Sanchez's wife and daughter emerged.

Ali held onto her mother's hand, dragging her toward Steve and her father. "Momma, this is Uncle Steve. He said I could call him that because that's what Grace calls him." She raised her arms and her father picked her up for one more hug. "And that is Chin," she pointed him out. "And that's Kono…she bought me the new dress, see? And he's Danny. He's Grace's daddy and he said I can go see her, OK?"

Her father smiled at her. "I am most certain that can be arranged, Ali."

"Uncle Steve is going to buy me some ice," she explained to her parents. She made a face, not really understanding why his ice was so special.

"Shave ice," Steve corrected her, smiling. "You know, Little Girl, … you really had me fooled. You wouldn't talk to me, so I didn't think you even knew how to talk. And now listen to you… you can't stop!" She jumped from her father's arms into his. "Hey! Hang on there, Kiddo."

"You won't let me fall," she said with assurance, hugging his neck.

"No, I won't let you fall," he agreed, holding her tight before letting her slide down onto the couch.

Mrs. Sanchez hugged him next, still having trouble speaking without getting choked up. "You have given me a most precious gift, Commander McGarrett. We cannot ever repay you."

He hugged her back. "Call me Steve," he told her. "And the only payment I need is an occasional picture of your beautiful daughter. That is thanks enough." He turned to Sanchez and asked quietly, "Can we discuss the embassy?"

The president nodded. "Marisol, please give us a few moments. Ali, would you like to watch TV in the other room?"

"OK, Mr. Flopsy wants to watch Dora."

"Then let's make Mr. Flopsy happy and go find Dora," her mother told her, taking her hand.

Aliyana walked with her mother, turning back to them and waving. "Bye, Uncle Steve."

Sanchez watched them go and then turned back to McGarrett, his gratitude written on his face.

The commander recognized the look and nodded; no further words were necessary. "Have a seat," Steve told him, once again sitting in the desk chair. "What can you tell us about the embassy situation?"

Sanchez raised both hands. "We were kept away from it," he answered. "Raoul received word that dissidents had stormed the embassy itself. I understand three people were killed, but to my knowledge, there was no ransom request, so I do not understand the purpose of the attack."

"I think this was a ploy by Ochoa to keep you on ice and take the spotlight off Guyana. We have him in custody, by the way."

"Ochoa? How did you accomplish that?"

"He came for Ali. His idiotic plan was to 'rescue' her from her kidnappers, then make a big show of giving her back to you so that your people would realize he was the perfect leader for Guyana. But we had rescued her before he got to the compound, so he then proceeded to chase us through the jungle into Suriname. And I am embarrassed to admit this, but Chavez from the U.S. Embassy in your country is a part of this scheme. He ordered our chopper to be shot down before we landed in Guyana."

"Once this is over, if the people will have me back, I will be a good president for them. And Ochoa and his followers will be tried for their crimes."

"Now that's what we wanted to hear," Danny told him. "And with all the unrest in the streets of Guyana, I don't think you'll have a problem regaining power."

"Do you know if the admiral is still at the embassy?" Steve asked.

"I have not heard otherwise."

"We are going there now to finish this."

"I will come with you," Sanchez decided.

McGarrett shook his head. "No. You need to stay here with Ali and your wife. Chin, I think it would be best if you remained here as well. I would feel better if someone was here in case there is a problem. Besides, the guard got a good look at you and they may decide to shoot first and ask questions later."

"The McGarrett specialty," Danny pointed out with a grin.

Chin grinned back, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "Understood, Boss. We'll be fine. And I noticed in the bedroom, we have a good view of the embassy. I'll be able to alert you if there are any runners."

McGarrett nodded.

Sanchez sighed. "You are fighting for me and my country. It is only right that I join you there. But I understand." He looked Steve in the eye. "You will return when it is finished?"

"We will contact Chin when it is safe. Now, Mr. President," Steve told him with a smile, "I would think it is time for you to begin working on your second acceptance speech."

The president smiled. "Yes, I can do that. But wait." He looked on the desk and found paper and pen. "Let me show you a rarely-used route from the living quarters back into the embassy. This may be useful to you. I'm sure they realize we have left the premises by now. They will be looking."

"Thanks. Any advantage we have will help," McGarrett told him while they gathered their gear, preparing to leave. He took the paper and studied it, before handing it over to Danny and Kono to do the same. "We'll contact you soon. Chin, keep your ears on."

Kelly nodded and reached for one of the ear buds, adding, "Be careful."

Steve nodded in return. "Always."

~~~H50~~~


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Monday morning**_

Steve felt a bit conspicuous walking through the streets of Port of Spain in camo, but that was all he had. At least the dirt was off his arms and face and he was wearing a new black tee. Two hand weapons were on his person, and while he wished for his carbine, he doubted he would make it the half block to the embassy unnoticed while carrying that weapon.

He walked into the front door and quickly gained everyone's attention…whether he wanted it or not.

The embassy workers were still cleaning up from an exhausting, almost 24-hour hostage situation, and the sight of this camo-clad, no-nonsense fighter barreling to the first person he saw caused everyone's breath to hitch up a notch.

He was immediately met with resistance by two Navy ensigns, carbines just waiting to be aimed at him.

Steve wasted no time, speaking to them calmly and with authority. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and I need to speak with Admiral Farris. But I would like to do so discreetly."

"The Admiral is in a meeting, Sir," the officer began.

"And I am sure he will want to speak with me." Steve glanced around the first floor of the embassy, seeing no one who looked like they didn't belong. "Other than our own people, who is still here on site?"

"Sir, I am not at liberty—"

"And Ensign, I will not take 'no' for an answer."

A third officer stepped into the room and immediately heard the confrontation, coming quickly toward them. "Stand down, Men." He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "McGarrett, it is good to see you. After we lost contact, we feared the worst."

Steve nodded, recognizing Captain Anderson as one who had been in the briefing with the admiral on Saturday afternoon. "I need to speak with you…all of you," he included the first two ensigns. "The problems here are not over."

The captain motioned for them to move to a desk in the far corner, and grabbed a chair for McGarrett. The two ensigns remained on guard, with their eyes on the door, but listening to the conversation.

"You were correct about the problems here," Anderson began. "President and Mrs. Sanchez have been taken. Right out of the garden. Their guard was attacked and they are gone without a trace."

"That's not the problem," Steve began, waving his hand. "We've got them. They're safe. Your problem is Alan Chavez. He's working for Ochoa."

"Are you sure?" The captain questioned. "He came here with the Sanchez's."

"Yes," McGarrett nodded. "For the sole purpose of keeping them out of Guyana and away from the public eye while Ochoa reinserts himself back into the position of president. Chavez is the one who had the first team attacked and had the same plans for me and my team. Is he still with the admiral?"

The captain nodded. "But he's getting ready to leave. Rumor has it that Ochoa left for a meeting at his family compound and hasn't been seen in over 24 hours. Chavez plans to go back to Georgetown this morning."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," McGarrett vowed. "How many men did he bring with him? I know Raoul is one of them."

"Other than Raoul, there are five guards and Chavez. When I left upstairs, two were securing the complex behind the embassy and the others were in the conference room and hallway."

"I'm going in to see the admiral. Captain, can you come with?" He turned to the ensigns. "You two remain on the stairway out of sight, and be our back up. Hopefully the guards will follow us into the conference room and we can take down everyone, but if that doesn't happen, I want them neutralized. I have an idea Chavez will be very surprised to see me… and we may cause a commotion. Any questions?"

A round of 'no-sir's' ensued and Steve nodded. "I have a team entering the back of the other building as we speak. They can easily deal with the guards over there. Danny, Kono, did you copy?"

"Loud and clear," was Danny's message in his ear.

"Let's go."

~~~H50~~~

In Danny Williams' "Rule Book for Takedowns," things can go from Number One: "Easy Peasy" all the way to Number Ten: "Royal Screw Up". This one waffled between a four to a five; four being "You Really Are Morons," to five, which was "You Don't Want to Piss Off an Already-Pissed-Off SEAL."

Danny and Kono had entered the back of the complex and used Sanchez's map to reach the third floor. They crept across the stone floors looking and listening for the patrolling guards. When they found them, the words 'take down' didn't even apply. The two men were seated on the main staircase, leaning against the wall having a smoke and sharing a flask. Their weapons and radios were by their sides. Hence, the "You Really Are Morons". Kono took great pleasure in using duct tape to silence their protests and they were quickly zip tied, both hand and foot, to the banister.

"Two down," Danny whispered into his mic. "We're heading to your position."

Captain Anderson nodded to the two soldiers standing in the hallway next to the conference room, rapped a brisk two knocks on the door before opening it and stood aside for McGarrett to enter.

The admiral was on the telephone, but quickly waved them into the room, a look of surprise on his face at seeing the commander. He hastened to end his conversation while McGarrett surveyed the room.

Raoul was seated at the conference table, a bag of ice held to the side of his head. The last guard was stationed behind Chavez and the admiral, hand on the weapon in his holster. Chavez had been putting papers into his briefcase, but became totally still upon seeing McGarrett enter the room. The look of surprise was quickly masked. There was an element of shock, but if Steve tried to categorize the face, he would label it blatant 'contempt'.

The admiral ended his call and turned to McGarrett, who saluted his superior.

Farris waved off the salute and shook the commander's hand. "I have to tell you, I was getting worried about you," the older man admitted, slapping Steve on the arm.

"We all made it out, Sir. The two injured SEALs are at the hospital here in Trinidad. One of my men was injured in a firefight early this morning, and he is there as well, but they all will be fine." He took a folded paper from his pocket and handed it to the admiral, telling him, "This is the location of the other two SEALs. They are buried near the beach where they fell."

Admiral Farris nodded, glancing down at the paper. "Thank you. I'll make the arrangements and get them home. They were good men."

"Boomer and Buck said the same," McGarrett replied. He glanced around the room once again, saying, "I heard you had some excitement around here."

"Commander, things have gone to hell in a hand basket today. First, we had the coup and once we thought that was resolved, President Sanchez and his wife were taken at gunpoint. They were in the garden this morning and their aide was attacked." He pointed to Raoul, offering a look of sympathy for the man's headache. "When he came to, they were gone. We have the police working on the abduction, but so far, there has been no word and no ransom note. And we haven't heard any chatter from any of our sources."

"The rumor I heard is that Ochoa is also missing," McGarrett replied. "What do you know about that?"

The admiral shook his head and turned toward Chavez. "Alan received confirmation of that fact about an hour ago. He is heading back to his country to see what he can do." The older man shook his head. "It blows my mind that in a few days time, a small country such as Guyana has become such a major hot spot. Two presidents going missing in the same day is unheard of."

McGarrett casually walked around the table to stand between the admiral and the guard behind him.

"Mr. Chavez, how _**do**_ you lose two presidents in one day? I guess that put a kink in the plan, didn't it?"

The man looked from the admiral to McGarrett, drawing himself up to full height. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about." He picked up another sheaf of papers and placed them into his briefcase.

"Sure you do," Steve continued. "And I'm guessing that right about now, you are surprised to see me. I mean the attack on the beach didn't work, so you went to Plan B at the compound, tracking us into the jungle and then utilizing the chopper to hunt us down. Or was that Plan C? It's hard to keep track."

Chavez reached into the briefcase once again and McGarrett reached for his weapon, at the same moment using his left elbow to take down the guard. Chavez and McGarrett's weapons made appearances at the same moment.

Captain Anderson drew his weapon to cover Raoul, but the injured guard was faster. His jagged edge knife embedded into the captain's thigh and Raoul knocked the gun from his slack hand as the sailor fell to the floor. Raoul picked up the gun, grabbing Anderson by the back of his shirt, the weapon against his skull.

At one end of the table, McGarrett had his MK23 aimed at Chavez. Chavez's weapon was pointed at the admiral. On the opposite end were Raoul and Anderson. The embassy liaison shook his head and ordered, "Drop your weapon. Now."

"Not going to happen," McGarrett warned him. "Pull the trigger and you're dead before the smoke clears. I will not miss and I _**will**_ shoot to kill."

"I don't think so. I am leaving now and if you try to stop me, I will put a bullet in your admiral because he is coming with me. I have guards outside the door, so don't try to follow."

Admiral Farris replied with a sigh, "Alan, I had hoped I was wrong about you, but I knew many things weren't adding up. Why the hell did you have that little girl killed?"

Chavez laughed maniacally. "_**We**_ didn't kill her. _**You**_ did."

Farris looked disgusted. "The photo came to _**you**_ before the U.S. had anyone in the area. So you aren't laying the blame for this at my feet."

"The plan was simple," Chavez spat out. "Ochoa planned to keep her on ice for a few days and then 'find' her and return her to her parents. Our people would be so appreciative of Ochoa, they would return him to power. The story that she had been killed was simply a ruse to try and call off your men. But no, the U.S. just had to retaliate and blow the entire estate. So, you see, your Wonder Boy here and his team killed the kid. Not Ochoa."

The admiral rubbed his hand over his face, muttering, "Dear God," while cutting a concerned glance toward McGarrett.

"So, how does that make you feel, Admiral?" Chavez sneered. "You ordered your SEAL team to go in and blow the compound where she was being kept. I can't wait to see that headline and see how your country puts its 'goody-two-shoes' spin on it."

"There won't be a need for any kind of 'spin'," Steve calmly assured him, his MK23 still trained, point blank, on Chavez's chest. "Because we have the girl. She's safe. And, by the way, we also have her parents."

Chavez's face lost its composed mask, then he barked out, "Guards!" He heard the doors on both ends of the room open and he pointed to McGarrett and yelled, "Seize him! He is responsible for the kidnapping of President Sanchez."

McGarrett glanced toward the door behind Chavez and the guard he had disarmed kicked out, his boot hitting the commander hard behind his left knee. The guard began to rise as McGarrett went down.

Steve's knee twisted beneath him, but he managed to turn around and fire, hitting the guard in the chest. The man hit the wall, and then slid to the floor, dead before his journey was completed.

The double doors behind Chavez had opened to reveal Danny and Kono, while the sailors carrying carbines entered the doors behind Raoul. Raoul kept a grip on Anderson's collar and jerked around to find the Navy ensigns, surprised to be staring into the barrels of two weapons. He was immediately disarmed and shoved, face down, on the floor.

Chavez stood in the room, out-manned, out-gunned and out-smarted.

But positive he could salvage something. His weapon never faltered, aimed at the admiral. "Farris, get up. You're coming with me. McGarrett, call off your people. NOW!"

"I really don't think so," the Farris replied.

"Neither do I," McGarrett agreed, his MK23 once again focused on Chavez. "Did I mention that we also have Ochoa in custody?"

Chavez whipped around to stare at the commander, fury on his face. "Lies!"

His hand holding the weapon jerked toward McGarrett and when the gun moved, it was shot from Chavez's hand. Danny had been waiting for the opportunity to get a bead on the gun and readily took it when he saw the chance.

McGarrett quickly sprung up from his knees and tackled Chavez to the floor, the barrel of his MK23 beneath the man's chin. "Give me one reason to shoot," Steve ground out as he stared Chavez in the face.

"Commander." The admiral's voice was quiet, but the word was spoken with authority.

McGarrett took a deep breath and eased off, allowing Danny and Kono to guard the man while he stood. With Williams' help, they pulled Chavez up and he was face down on the conference table, one arm jerked behind his back before he knew what hit him.

"My arm," the man strangled out.

McGarrett pulled back on the man's collar, before slamming his head into the table once again, twisting his arm higher. "You're lucky I don't break it," he hissed, "after seeing how that little girl was being treated." He glanced up and growled, "Someone throw me some ties."

Danny eased closer to Kono and muttered into her ear, "You really don't want to piss off a pissed off SEAL. I'm just sayin'."

Kono grinned at him and pulled some ties from her pocket and held them out toward McGarrett.

Admiral Farris reached out and took them from her. "Allow me. Nothing would give me more pleasure right now."

McGarrett held Chavez's hands while the admiral tightened the plastic around them, then they manhandled their prisoner into the chair.

Admiral Farris looked at McGarrett. "Was that a really good bluff, or do you actually have Ochoa?"

Steve grinned, flexing his knee. "We have Ochoa. The rest of my team has him on ice at the airport."

"And President and Mrs. Sanchez are all right?"

"We have them, too. Along with Ali. Boomer and Buck told me she was still alive before we blew the place."

"Good work, McGarrett. I guess our next move is to get President Sanchez back to Guyana so that he can resume power."

Chavez started to stand, shouting, "The people don't want Sanchez. The leader of Guyana is President Ochoa!"

The admiral promptly shoved him back into the chair. "Oh, shut up. There was an election that stated otherwise. I guess your vote just didn't count enough. But don't worry, you and Ochoa will get to go back to your country, too. Only as criminals."

Farris surveyed the room, seeing Anderson seated at the table, one of the ensigns controlling the bleeding in his leg. "Captain, we'll have medics in here soon." He turned to McGarrett and told him, "We need to arrange transport for everyone to head back to Guyana. I'm sure Sanchez is anxious to resume his presidency."

"Actually," McGarrett began, rubbing the back of his neck, "there's a Blackhawk on the tarmac waiting for instructions. We can use that to secure the prisoners and get them back to Guyana if you want to arrange escort for the president and his family."

"Do I want to know where you got a Blackhawk?"

"Probably not," McGarrett admitted, a sheepish grin on his face.

The admiral glanced back around and pointed to Danny and Kono, who were standing along the wall, still holding their weapons. "And who are these people? You pick them up off the street?"

Steve grinned. "Not really, Sir. But they are the best back up any SEAL could ask for."

~~~H50~~~


	12. Chapter 12

_**Here it be - the final chapter. Thank you so much for the many nice reviews and comments I have received of the last few weeks. I truly appreciate each and every one and if I have not replied back to you, I am sorry. That was an oversight and definitely not intentional.**_

_**I need to say thanks once again to two of the best betas a person could have. Sockie1000 and Rogue Tomato are two of the most patient gals there are when I asked them to read and re-read parts of this thing. But they are great! I happen to think we make a pretty good team, ladies!**_

_**Several of you mentioned 'Danny's Rules' from the last chapter. In the near future, there just may be a fanfic outlining his "Rules for Take Downs", so be on the look out for it.**_

_**And again, thanks! Cokie**_

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Monday evening, 2115 GYT**_

Dinner was a celebration that evening, held in President and Mrs. Sanchez' home where they would remain until renovations could be made to the presidential mansion. In addition to refusing to spend one night in that house until all remnants of Ochoa were removed, they were in need of a nursery suite, for both Aliyana and the new baby.

But, for this night, politics and talk of enemies were set aside and the hosts and their guests were partaking of good food and drink, lively music and much laughter. President Sanchez had returned to Guyana in late morning and televised a speech to the people explaining the events over the past week. With his cabinet once again in place, Ochoa's followers had either been arrested or had retreated.

McGarrett and his teams, both SEAL and 5-0, had taken charge of Chavez and Ochoa, overseeing their return to Guyana, and ensuring they were well guarded in their prison cells to await trial. Admiral Farris and Captain Anderson had procured a plane and rode with the Sanchez family back to their homeland.

After Sanchez had been re-established as president, he felt it was his responsibility to once again thank the people who had saved his daughter's life. Unfortunately, Boomer and Vega were still in the hospital in Trinidad, but everyone else was there, along with the members of the president's new cabinet.

Farris and his team were leaving later that evening. Buck planned to hitch a ride back with them, leaving Boomer, who would be in the hospital in Trinidad for another couple days. The doctor was planning to release Vega the following morning, so Grayson and Jackson were returning to Trinidad to fly back home with him.

The SEAL team and 5-0 were seated on the veranda, enjoying drinks when the discussion turned toward their trip through the jungle with Ali. Grayson was explaining the look of extreme fear on McGarrett's face when he realized he needed to take her to the bathroom. Steve was saved some embarrassment when the president pulled him aside. "I am sorry to interrupt," Sanchez began.

"Please. Save me, Alejandro. I don't need this abuse."

The president smiled, placing one hand on the commander's arm, pointing to the second floor of the house with his other. "Aliyana saw you out her window and is adamant that she can't go to sleep until she tells you goodnight."

Steve looked to where Sanchez was pointing and they both waved to the little girl who was staring at them.

"Would you mind?" the president asked.

"Of course not," Steve assured him. "I didn't want to leave without telling her goodbye."

They walked into the house as Sanchez spoke once again. "I know I have said it before, but I can't begin to thank you for giving my daughter back to me."

"Thanks are not needed, Alejandro. I was doing the job I was sent to do."

"I can tell by the way you held my daughter that this was more than a job," Sanchez replied with a grin as they walked up the stairway. "And that is what I am thanking you for."

Steve nodded as they reached the top of the stairway. At that moment, a bundle of energy dressed in pajamas launched herself at him. "Uncle Steve! Come see Elena. She's going to stay with me."

He reached down and scooped her up into his arms, twirling her around as Sanchez explained, "Elena is my sister's daughter. She has agreed to stay while we search for another nanny." He smiled and added, "That is, unless you would like the position?"

"Very funny," Steve replied, making a face. "I was like a duck without water."

"That is not the rumor I have heard," Sanchez replied.

Ali wriggled from his arms. "Come on," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. "Here's my room."

"Can I help tuck you into bed?"

"No," she immediately stopped moving, looking down at her feet.

"Aliyana, it is past your bedtime," her father reminded her. "You promised to go to bed after you told Steve goodnight."

"I know. But I don't want to go to bed," she whispered, glancing up at them between her lashes.

"Nonsense," Sanchez told her, turning her around to enter the bedroom.

She immediately latched onto McGarrett's leg, holding on with both hands.

"Hey, Ali, what's wrong?" he asked, reaching down to pick her up.

She looked into her room then turned back to him and whispered, "I like my room, but I don't want to sleep here anymore. The bad men might come back." She had his shirt in her fist, her other arm wrapped around his neck.

Steve looked to Sanchez for guidance, but only saw a look of panic there.

The father placed his hand on Ali's back. "Aliyana, I'm going to go find Momma if you can stay with Steve for just a minute." He looked at McGarrett, his eyes pleading.

"We'll be fine," Steve assured him with a nod. He moved further into the room sat down in the rocker, placing her on his lap. "How about we read something?" he asked.

Her hand was still holding his shirt in a death grip and she repeatedly glanced into the corners of her room. "If you want to," she finally said.

"Not unless you want to read," he replied. "Hey! There's something I need you to do for me."

"What?" she asked.

He put his head next to hers and whispered, "You need to talk mommy and daddy into coming to Hawaii to visit."

Both parents entered her room at that time and she looked up at them, with a grin.

"OK, I will. Daddy, we need to go visit Steve and Gracie."

"Soon, Ali," he told her with a smile. "After our baby is born. Momma shouldn't be traveling a lot right now."

She nodded, and then turned to Steve. "We'll have to wait."

"That's OK. We can wait. And I expect to see Flopsy, too."

"Flopsy's in the bathroom because Momma says he stinks and needs a bath. And she said it was going to take a week to get me clean. Do you need another bath, too, Uncle Steve?"

"I'm sure I do," he replied grinning at her. He gave her a hug and got ready to stand up, but she clung to him in fear, her head hidden in his neck.

"I don't want to stay here," she began to whimper.

Steve looked to her parents, needing their guidance before saying anything.

Marisol leaned down and rubbed her back. "Ali, your father and I had a talk. How would you and Elena like to sleep in the spare room down the hall tonight. You could have your own party. Would that make you feel better?"

She raised her head. "Really? Can Uncle Steve stay there, too?"

"No, Ali, I'll stay somewhere else," he told her. "But would you like me to take you to the new bedroom? We'll check it out together and make sure it is safe. Can you help me do that?"

She nodded and looked to her mother. "But I want Mr. Flopsy with me. He can get a bath tomorrow."

They went down the hall and together, Steve and Ali examined the room, under the bed, in the corners, in the closet and the adjoining bath before declaring it safe. Aliyana hugged Steve once more as he stood, and she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Ali." He hesitated, then told the girl, "You know, I have to leave tonight, so I need to tell you goodbye."

"But you can live here," she immediately assured him, and then turned to her father for confirmation. "Daddy, can Uncle Steve live with us?"

"Aliyana, Steve has a very important job in Hawaii. He needs to get back to it."

"But I'm going to miss you," she told him, turning back around and holding his face between her two small hands.

"I'll miss you, too," he assured her, kissing her on the forehead. "But I'm going to make sure that Daddy brings you to Hawaii to visit me, all right?"

"OK," she agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But I'm _still_ going to miss you."

"Ali, you need to thank Steve for keeping you safe," her father prompted.

"Thank you," she told him, looking at him once again. "For keeping me safe and for carrying me and for showing me how to go potty in the woods—Daddy, did you know you can potty without a bathroom? Uncle Steve showed me how."

"Yes, Ali," he laughed at McGarrett's look of horror. "You should thank Steve for all those things… and more. He took great care of you."

"Yep," she agreed. "You did," she nodded her head. "And tell Kono thank you for my dress and tell her bye-bye and Danny and Chin and—"

"OK, OK," Steve laughed. "I will tell everyone bye for you. You be safe, little girl. And I'll see you soon."

"OK," she replied. "I want to come to your house."

"It's a date," he promised, giving her one more hug and passing her off to Sanchez. He then shook his head, offering her father an embarrassed smile and admitting, "OK, so maybe it was more than a job."

"So, how'd it go? Did you hold out for visitation rights?" Danny asked Steve when he rejoined their group on the patio.

"That's not funny, Danno."

"But Uncle Steve, you two are so sweet together," Kono chimed in, grinning at him.

"Do you people have nothing better to do?" McGarrett grumbled, his growl offset by the grin on his face.

"Well, 5-0 is still on vacation." Chin Ho pointed out, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, until _**next**_ Monday," Kono told him.

"The admiral released me from active duty, effective at 2400," McGarrett told them. "So, since I'm a part of 5-0, I'm going to assume I'm also on vacation." He stretched, getting the kinks out of his back. "And the first thing I plan to do is sleep for the next several hours. But after that, I'm open for suggestions."

"Cool," Kono said.

"That's great," Danny agreed. "So, do we stay here in Guyana? Go someplace else?"

"Hey Boss," Chin said. "How about we go fishing for sea bob?"

"That works," McGarrett nodded.

"And I hear the diving down here is awesome," Kono said with excitement.

"That, too."

"Wait a minute," Danny said. "If you say they also have excellent hiking trails, I will hurt you. Can we do something that maybe 'normal' people do on vacation? You know…something that doesn't involve the sun, sand and surf?"

His three teammates laughed. "Brah, what else is there?" Chin asked.

"Give me a break," Danny replied, shaking his head.

"Well, there is the famous Cher-Ae Casino," McGarrett offered. "I don't know if you're interested—"

"Now you're talking," Danny replied. "Finally a sport worthy of Jersey!"

~~~H50~~~

_**Epilogue**_

_**Approximately three months later**_

Steve had just returned from his Saturday swim, running a towel over his head and chest to catch some of the water before it dripped onto his kitchen floor. He heard the buzz of his cell phone and picked it up from the counter, seeing Ali's face smiling back at him.

"Good morning, Mr. President!" he spoke into the phone.

"Well, it is a good evening from here," the president of Guyana replied. "And stop with the Mr. President title. I have told you to call me Alejandro."

"All right, Alejandro. How's Ali?"

"Aliyana is just fine. In fact, she is dancing here at my side. She is most adamant to speak with you. Here you go."

"Uncle Steve!"

"Hi, Ali. How are you and Mr. Flopsy doing?"

"We're good. Flopsy got another bath 'cause momma said he still stinks. But guess what?"

"What, Kiddo? You're awfully excited."

"Momma had me a baby brother today. And he's all red and wrinkly and he is asleep. But I got to hold him."

"Wow! That's great news. You'll be a good big sister."

"I know. Momma says I can bring her diapers and I can talk to him when he's fussy. But the bestest news is that momma and daddy let me name him, so I named him Steve."

There was shocked silence from the phone in Hawaii.

"Uncle Steve, where did you go?"

"I'm here, Ali." He swallowed before continuing. "You named your brother after me?"

"Uh huh. His big name is Steven Alejandro, like Daddy. I named him Steve 'cause I want him to be like you and save people when he gets growed up."

"Thank you, Ali. I don't know what to say."

"Here's my daddy. My Steve is crying so I have to go help him."

"OK, bye."

"Steve? I hope this decision is OK with you."

"Well, yeah. I mean, sure, but are _**you**_ sure? I'm guessing that isn't the name you had chosen for your son."

"It was Ali's decision. But when Marisol and I gave her the choice to pick a name, we knew exactly what name she would choose. You have certainly become her hero. No, you are _**our**_ hero. So, once again, I thank you. And I will send you pictures of your namesake by the end of the day."

"Alejandro, I really don't know what to say."

"There is nothing you need to say," the man assured him. "But I do have one question."

"What's that?"

"My son is not quite a day old. Can you explain to me why his nickname is 'Doggie'?"

8.11.11

ljwatson


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